Telegram founder Pavel Durov has spoken out once again about the ongoing legal case against him in France. More than a year after his arrest in August 2024, Durov claims French authorities are still struggling to present any evidence of wrongdoing.
In a post shared on his official Telegram channel, Durov described the arrest as “unprecedented” and criticized the logic of holding a tech executive personally responsible for the actions of independent users.
“One year later, the so-called criminal investigation against me is still unable to prove that I or Telegram did anything wrong. Our moderation policies follow industry standards, and Telegram has always complied with legally binding requests from France,” Durov said.
The entrepreneur added that he is still required to return to France every 14 days, with no appeal date in sight, warning that the situation has caused “irreparable damage” to France’s global image as a free nation.
Global Backlash Against France’s Handling of the Case
The arrest of Pavel Durov sparked outrage from the crypto community, human rights organizations, and free speech activists. Many accused the French government of attempting to pressure Telegram into implementing censorship on the platform.
French President Emmanuel Macron denied political motivations behind the arrest, insisting that France remains committed to protecting civil liberties. “In a state governed by the rule of law, freedoms are guaranteed within a legal framework, both online and offline, to protect citizens and respect their fundamental rights,” Macron wrote in a statement on X.
However, critics quickly pushed back. Mert Mumtaz, CEO of Helius, questioned Macron’s reasoning: “Why aren’t you personally in jail for not controlling 100% of all crime in France?”
Telegram Stands Firm on Privacy and Free Speech
Durov has repeatedly emphasized that Telegram cooperates with legal requests but will never compromise user privacy. The platform, he said, would rather exit a jurisdiction than hand over encryption keys or build backdoors into its messaging system.
This firm stance reinforces Telegram’s long-standing position as one of the few global platforms refusing to weaken its security or censor user content under political pressure.