French prosecutors bring 12 charges against Pavel Durov: details of criminal cases
26 August 2024 22:57
Telegram founder Pavel Durov is being investigated for cybercrime and fraud and a number of other potential crimes. The French prosecutor’s office has charged Durov with 12 offences, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports
Durov is currently under investigation in France for cybercrime and fraud. According to the prosecutor’s office, he is charged with the following articles:
- Complicity in the administration of an online platform for the purpose of making illegal transactions by an organised group.
- Refusal to provide, at the request of the authorised bodies, information or documents necessary for the implementation and use of wiretapping permitted by law.
- Complicity in the possession of pornographic images of minors.
- Participation in the distribution of pornographic images of minors by an organised criminal group.
- Participation in the acquisition, transportation, storage or transfer of drugs.
- Participation in the offer, transfer or provision of equipment, tools, programs or data intended to attack automated data processing systems without good reason.
- Participation in organised fraud.
- Provision of cryptographic services aimed at ensuring the confidentiality function without appropriate declaration.
- Provision of cryptology tools that do not exclusively provide authentication or integrity control functions without a prior declaration.
All these crimes, according to French law enforcement, are committed on Telegram, a messenger created by Pavel Durov. That is why he is called an accomplice.
It is currently known that Durov may be detained until 28 August.
It is worth noting that Durov was detained on 24 August in the evening – his private jet arrived in Paris from Azerbaijan. the 39-year-old Durov was accompanied by his bodyguard and an unnamed woman. The warrant for his detention was issued by the French judicial police on the basis of a preliminary investigation. Durov is accused of complicity in drug trafficking, crimes against children and fraud due to the lack of moderation on Telegram.
Pavel Durov
Pavel Durov is a Russian programmer and entrepreneur born on 10 October 1984 in Leningrad. He is the creator of the social network VKontakte and the Telegram messenger. Durov graduated from the Faculty of Philology at St. Petersburg State University, where he also received training in propaganda and psychological warfare at the military department.
In 2006, Durov launched VKontakte, which became the most popular social network in Russia. In 2014, he resigned as CEO of VKontakte and left the country, claiming that it was impossible to run an online business there. Durov is a libertarian and vegetarian, known for his unconventional views on life and business.
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As of 2021, Durov’s net worth was estimated at $17.2 billion, making him the eighth richest Russian. He holds citizenship in several countries, including France and the UAE. on 24 August 2024, Durov was detained in France on suspicion of complicity in crimes due to insufficient moderation of Telegram. He faces up to 20 years in prison, and the case will be heard by a French court.
Telegram and its role in the Russian-Ukrainian war
Telegram is a multi-platform messenger that provides messaging and file sharing, video calling, and optional end-to-end encrypted chats known as “secret chats”. The messenger was developed by Nikolai and Pavel Durov, and the first release took place in 2013. Telegram is registered in the British Virgin Islands and is headquartered in Dubai.
The messenger plays an important role in the context of the Russian-Ukrainian war. It has become a platform for disseminating information, coordinating actions, and conducting information operations on both sides of the conflict. The Ukrainian military and activists use Telegram to disseminate operational information, raise funds, and maintain the morale of the population.
On the other hand, Russian special services can use Telegram to monitor and analyse the actions of Ukrainian users. It is known that the ability to obtain information about users through the platform’s API creates potential security risks, making Telegram both an important tool and a possible threat.
Pavel Durov is known for his tough stance on refusing to cooperate with governments in providing access to encrypted user data. He has repeatedly stated that he will not hand over his encryption keys to any authorities, which has drawn criticism from some governments and organisations. This stance allows Telegram to remain one of the most secure messengers, but at the same time creates challenges for law enforcement agencies in the fight against cybercrime.
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