Telegram CEO Pavel Durov released from custody, taken to court

Telegram founder Pavel Durov has been taken to court following his arrest and detention in police custody for 96 hours.

According to France 24, police transferred Durov to court as the four-day timeline for authorities to hold an individual before presenting them in court elapsed on Wednesday, August 28. The Telegram founder had been at the anti-fraud offices in Paris since his arrest last weekend.

Durov’s arrest has elicited an outcry across the globe, with many terming it an afront on free speech. Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino called it “very concerning.”

Charges against Durov

The 39-year old billionaire is being accused of violations related to his Telegram app, largely around the lack of moderation. Allegations also include complicit in fraud schemes and drug trafficking among other charges.

🚨 BREAKING: TELEGRAM CEO PAVEL DUROV RELEASED FROM CUSTODY

Telegram founder Pavel Durov has been released from French custody after his arrest at Paris’s Le Bourget Airport.

Durov was detained amid allegations of failing to moderate illegal content on Telegram, including… pic.twitter.com/WKjg5TLq53

— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) August 28, 2024

Durov, born in Russia, holds French and United Arab Emirates citizenship. He founded Telegram a decade ago, with the encrypted messaging app seeing exponential growth since to count a reported user base of over 950 million people.

In recent months, Telegram has emerged as a top destination for crypto tap-to-earn games, with the TON blockchain integration a key component of this growth.

His arrest saw the Toncoin (TON) token plummet by more than 20%.