According to Cointelegraph, Pavel Durov, the founder of Telegram, recently appeared in a Paris court to address allegations that the messaging app facilitates criminal activities. The court session, held on December 6, marked Durov's first questioning in this legal case. Accompanied by his lawyers, David-Olivier Kaminski and Christophe Ingrain, Durov faced inquiries centered on claims that Telegram is used for illicit transactions. Despite the serious nature of the allegations, Durov expressed confidence in the French justice system but refrained from discussing the case further.
Durov's legal troubles began on August 24 when he was detained at Le Bourget airport in Paris. Although he was released after posting a $6 million bail, he is prohibited from leaving France until March 2025. French prosecutors have charged him with operating a platform that allegedly supports illegal activities, with preliminary charges announced on August 28. If found guilty, Durov could face a prison sentence of up to 10 years and a fine of €500,000 ($550,000). The Paris prosecutor's office initiated a preliminary investigation into Telegram in February 2024, which escalated to a judicial inquiry by July 8, preceding Durov's arrest.
The case has sparked concerns among industry insiders about its implications for privacy-focused Web3 technologies. Comparisons have been drawn to the arrest of Tornado Cash developer Alexey Pertsev, highlighting potential risks for developers of privacy-preserving technologies. Vyara Savova, senior policy lead at the European Crypto Initiative, noted that these actions by individual member states do not reflect a unified procedure by the EU or its executive body. Nikolay Denisenko, co-founder and chief technology officer of the financial app Brighty, expressed worries about government overreach and its impact on digital privacy.
In a related development, Pertsev's pre-trial detention was extended, affecting his ability to prepare for an appeal. However, a significant legal victory occurred on November 26 when a Fifth Circuit Appeals Court panel ruled that the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) overstepped its authority in sanctioning Tornado Cash's immutable smart contracts. This decision reversed a lower court's ruling, granting the platform's users a partial summary judgment. The ongoing legal proceedings against Durov continue to draw attention and raise questions about the future of privacy in the digital realm.