Telegram founder Pavel Durov was released from police custody in France on Wednesday and transferred to court for questioning ahead of a possible indictment, prosecutors told CNN, days after his dramatic arrest at a Paris airport,
CNN reports.
The Russian-born billionaire exited the anti-fraud office outside Paris in what appeared to be a police vehicle on Wednesday afternoon, according to a CNN producer there.
The Paris prosecutor’s office said he would now face “initial questioning and possible indictment” at a court in the French capital.
Durov, 39, was detained at Paris’s Bourget Airport on Saturday on a warrant related to Telegram’s lack of moderation. He was being investigated on charges relating to a host of crimes, including allegations that his platform was complicit in aiding fraudsters, drug traffickers and people spreading child pornography.
Durov’s app, and its lack of content moderation, has also come under scrutiny for its use by terrorist groups and far-right extremists.
He was placed in custody for up to 96 hours, the maximum amount of time someone can be held under French law before being charged.
Durov’s arrest started a row over freedom of speech, and caused particular concerns in both Ukraine and Russia, where it is extremely popular and has become a key communication tool among military personnel and citizens during Moscow’s war on its neighbor.
Russia criticized Paris on Wednesday for its detention of Durov. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said, “It seems to me that all this has once again demonstrated the true attitude of the French leadership, which has blatantly trampled on international norms in the field of protecting freedom of speech and expression, for only one reason - because if they protect certain standards, they must not only comply with them, they must protect and implement them.”
The Kremlin has sought to calm fears in Russia about the future of the app, with Russian government spokesman Dmitry Peskov attempting to dispel calls for users to delete their sensitive messages on the app.
