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UPDATE: Telegram CEO Pavel Durov Allegedly Faces 12 Charges Following Arrest

Pavel Durov, the co-founder and CEO of the messaging app Telegram, allegedly faces 12 charges after his arrest in France.

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Per TechCrunch:

The Centre for the Fight against Cybercrime (C3N) and the Anti-Fraud National Office (ONAF) have been involved in the investigation. In all, 12 charges have been filed against “a person unnamed” — a classic French judicial term to imply whoever is in charge of Telegram right now.

The charges can be broken down into four categories:

  1. Telegram’s founder has been charged with being complicit in storing and distributing CSAM content, facilitating drug trafficking and facilitating organized fraud and other illegal transactions.
  2. The court claims that Telegram refuses to cooperate with law enforcement when they file a formal request for information or documents.
  3. Durov faces several charges related to Telegram’s cryptographic features as they haven’t been formally declared or certified by French authorities. These seem to be minor offenses according to professor of law Florence G’sell.
  4. Durov is accused of taking part in a “criminal association with a view to committing a crime or an offense punishable by 5 or more years of imprisonment,” as well as money laundering.

“I have seen false information regarding France following the arrest of Pavel Durov. France is deeply committed to freedom of expression and communication, to innovation, and to the spirit of entrepreneurship. It will remain so,” Emmanuel Macron said.

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“In a state governed by the rule of law, freedoms are upheld within a legal framework, both on social media and in real life, to protect citizens and respect their fundamental rights. It is up to the judiciary, in full independence, to enforce the law. The arrest of the president of Telegram on French soil took place as part of an ongoing judicial investigation. It is in no way a political decision. It is up to the judges to rule on the matter,” he added.

WATCH:

From the Associated Press:

Durov was detained in France as part of a judicial inquiry opened last month involving 12 alleged criminal violations, according to the Paris prosecutor’s office. It said the suspected violations include complicity in selling child sexual abuse material and in drug trafficking, fraud, abetting organized crime transactions and refusing to share information or documents with investigators when required by law.

As of Tuesday morning, he had not been charged. He can be held for questioning until Wednesday evening, at which point judges must either charge him or release him.

In Russia, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov declined to comment on reports of Durov’s arrest in France.

“We still don’t know what exactly Durov is being accused of,” Peskov said Monday during his daily media conference call. “We haven’t heard any official statements on that matter.”

“Let’s wait until the charges are announced — if they are announced,” Peskov said.

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This is a Guest Post from our friends over at 100 Percent Fed Up.

View the original article here.


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