French justice has granted conditional release to Telegram founder and head Pavel Durov but he has been banned from leaving the country. Durov was granted conditional release on a bail of five million euros and on the condition that he report to a police station twice a week and remain in France.

The multimillionaire is also under investigation in France for serious violence against one of his children. This is the latest development in a story that continues to enrich itself with twists and mysteries after the arrest of the founder of Telegram last Saturday at Le Bourget airport in Paris.

Twelve charges were filed against him for failure to cooperate in investigations involving the Telegram app in criminal activities such as drug trafficking and the distribution of child pornography.

According to information emerging so far, Durov - who holds Russian, French and UAE citizenship - also maintains close relations with Russia, and Ukrainian sources have spoken of a recent meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Known for his privacy, Durov, 39, has so far amassed an estimated net worth of over $15 billion and denies charges brought against him for his lack of cooperation with investigators in inquiries launched to uncover those responsible for criminal activities conducted in part through Telegram.

The arrest of the founder of the app that currently has 900 million users has prompted many to take a stand in his favor, including those of X's owner Elon Musk and several Russian authorities. They have accused France of having set up a political case and of wanting to carry out an operation of censorship with respect to freedom of information, all of which have been rejected by the French authorities, starting with President Macron.

(Online Union)

© Riproduzione riservata