Telegram CEO Pavel Durov has strongly criticized French authorities over what he describes as the mishandling of his ongoing legal case. In a detailed post on his personal Telegram channel, Durov said that after more than a year, the criminal investigation against him has failed to present any evidence of wrongdoing by either him or his company.
The Russian-born entrepreneur argued that holding a tech platform CEO personally accountable for the actions of users is “both legally and logically absurd.” He stressed that Telegram’s moderation practices are in line with industry standards and that the platform has always complied with binding legal requests from French authorities.
Durov’s arrest in August 2024 was described as “unprecedented.” Since then, he has been required to return to France every 14 days, despite no official date being set for an appeal. He warned that such practices have damaged France’s reputation as a free and democratic nation.
“It’s ridiculous that I was arrested due to a mistake made by the French police,” Durov wrote. “Before August 2024, they ignored both French and EU regulations and failed to send their requests to Telegram through the proper legal channels. A simple Google search could have shown them the correct procedure.”
A hearing on Durov’s case took place in early August 2025, but the verdict remains pending. French courts have so far made no public comment.
French President Emmanuel Macron has repeatedly denied that the arrest was politically motivated. However, the case has drawn widespread criticism from the crypto community, human rights organizations, and free speech advocates, who accuse France of attempting to pressure Durov into enabling greater censorship on Telegram.
The outcome of the case remains uncertain, but observers warn it could set a precedent for how European authorities hold tech executives accountable for user behavior on digital platforms.
