The Blubber

Pavel Durov, the founder and CEO of Telegram, was arrested in Paris on August 24 and is now facing 12 charges. These range from facilitating illegal online transactions to involvement in the distribution of child pornography.

His arrest follows a judicial investigation that began on July 8, initiated after a preliminary inquiry by Section 13-JUNALCO (a cybercrime unit) of the Paris Public Prosecutor's Office.

The charges against Durov are extensive and include:

• Complicity in managing an online platform used to facilitate illegal transactions by an organized group.
• Refusing to provide authorities with information or documents necessary for legal interceptions.
• Complicity in the storage of child pornography.
• Distributing, offering, or making child pornography available as part of an organized group.
• Complicity in drug offenses, including acquiring, possessing, and selling narcotics.
• Complicity in providing or distributing tools or programs used to unlawfully access or damage data processing systems.
• Complicity in organized fraud.
• Criminal conspiracy to commit serious crimes.
• Laundering money derived from organized criminal activities.
• Providing cryptology services without the necessary certification.
• Distributing cryptology tools without prior declaration.
• Importing cryptology tools without prior declaration.

Durov is currently in police custody, which has been extended until August 25. Under the legal framework for organized crime offenses, his detention could be prolonged for up to 96 hours, potentially until August 28, according to Paris Public Prosecutor Laure Beccuau.