Pavel Durov’s Case Unlikely to Reach French Courts Before 2026

The case against Telegram founder Pavel Durov in France will not be brought to court for at least a year or more, according to Wired, citing local prosecutors.

According to the agency’s spokesperson, Maïlys de Rêke, it is too early to discuss any settlement between the authorities and the businessman.

The messaging app attracted law enforcement attention when, in the winter of 2024, it refused to disclose the identity of one of its users suspected of child sexual abuse. In March, France issued an arrest warrant for Durov and his brother Nikolai.

Subsequently, a specialized French cybercrime unit, known as J3, became involved in the Telegram case.

Following changes in the messenger’s internal policies on information disclosure, authorities in several countries noted a positive shift in cooperation with the platform. According to law enforcement, Telegram’s compliance with metadata requests aids numerous investigations, particularly in drug trafficking.

“[The messenger’s representatives] not only remove flagged content but also provide us with compliance updates, usually within 24 hours,” added Soen Pak, a member of South Korea’s independent media commission.

According to the publication, while Pavel Durov remains “stuck” in France, Telegram investors are concerned about the company’s long-term future, and the platform’s team is in limbo, uncertain if the situation will necessitate a change in leadership.

The Telegram founder was detained at Paris Le Bourget Airport on the evening of August 24, 2024.

Investigators charged him with several crimes related to organized crime, including complicity in drug distribution, child pornography, and refusal to provide information upon request by authorized bodies.

Five days later, Pavel Durov was released on bail of €5 million, with the condition of reporting to a police station twice a week. He is also prohibited from leaving France.

Durov denies the charges against him.

In December, the Telegram founder was questioned for the first time regarding the case, though details remain unknown.

Following his detention, Durov announced enhanced moderation of the messenger. At that time, the platform began to promptly process and respond to legal requests from European authorities.

Statistics on legal requests from several countries for user data disclosure were made publicly available.