Telegram CEO and founder Pavel Durov has been transferred to a Paris courthouse, where a decision will be made on whether he will be put under formal investigation following his arrest last week, according to several news outlets.
Durov’s detention period expired on Wednesday according to AFP, citing a source familiar with the matter. He has reportedly now been released from police custody and transferred to court for possible indictment. According to Reuters, the judges’ decision on the matter is expected by 8pm local time (18:00 GMT).
Unverified videos circulating on social media claim to show two cars with sirens and lights leaving the anti-fraud bureau where Durov was reportedly held.
Durov was arrested upon landing at a Paris airport on Saturday after arriving by private jet from Azerbaijan. According to French prosecutors, the Russian entrepreneur, who also holds the citizenships of France, the UAE, and St. Kitts and Nevis, was taken into custody as part of a broader probe into child pornography, drug sales, fraud and other criminal activities on the platform. Durov is also being investigated for allegedly refusing to cooperate with law enforcement efforts to look into cyber and financial crimes.
On Wednesday, Politico reported that back in March, the French authorities had issued warrants not only for Pavel Durov, but also his brother Nikolay, who co-founded Telegram. The magazine claimed that the move stemmed from “Telegram’s almost non-existent cooperation” in numerous cases, including related to child sex abuse.
Meanwhile, the Wall Street Journal reported that before obtaining his French passport, Pavel Durov had had lunch with President Emmanuel Macron, who invited him to move Telegram’s HQ to Paris. The Russian billionaire, however, reportedly declined.
Durov’s arrest has caused a global firestorm, with many opinion leaders accusing Paris of cracking down on free speech, and claims that the tycoon was detained at the behest of the US. Macron has said, however, that Durov’s arrest “is in no way a political decision,” stressing that France remains committed to freedom of expression.