Telegram’s Pavel Durov freed from custody, awaits court ruling

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As a seasoned crypto investor with a knack for navigating the digital financial landscape, I can’t help but feel a mix of concern and intrigue regarding the recent developments surrounding Telegram CEO Pavel Durov. Having been involved in this industry long enough to weather numerous storms, I’ve learned that accusations and allegations are often just one side of the story.

Pavel Durov, a Franco-Russian tycoon, was freed from police detention and is now appearing in a Paris courtroom, where he’s being accused of various offenses such as terrorism and distributing inappropriate material involving children.

As reported by AFP, Durov was transferred to a Paris courtroom on August 28 for potential charges against him. Durov was detained at Le Bourget Airport in the vicinity of Paris over the weekend, due to accusations that he neglected to control illicit content on his encrypted messaging service.

On August 26th, a French investigative judge prolonged Durov’s detention by up to 48 hours. This implies that either Durov will be released or charged for some of the alleged offenses within the next few hours.

Charges against Durov

The French officials have claimed that Durov’s platform is involved in illicit activities, however, Telegram has disputed these allegations. Among the accusations leveled against it are collaboration in peddling child sexual exploitation content, drug dealing, fraudulent practices, aiding organized crime transactions, and withholding information from investigators.

1. Reportedly, French officials had taken notice of Nikolai Durov, Pavel’s sibling, and issued arrest orders for the two brothers in March, as per Politico. This action was prompted by Telegram’s refusal to collaborate during an investigation into child sex abuse cases.

The apprehension led to a significant drop in Toncoin (TON), the cryptocurrency tied to Telegram, as its value dropped by approximately 20%, reaching $5.3. This event caused the market capitalization to decrease to around $13.6 billion.

There was a significant show of backing from the cryptocurrency community towards Telegram’s founder, Pavel Durov, after he was detained in France due to accusations that he failed to effectively manage illegal activities within the platform.

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2024-08-28 16:48