Pavel Durov, the founder and CEO of Telegram, an encrypted messaging software with 900 million users worldwide , was arrested by French authorities after arriving in Paris at 8pm local time on the 24th, which attracted global attention.
French prosecutor: Durov may be released on Wednesday
However, according to a post by a French prosecutor (now unavailable), he believes that Durov will be released as early as Wednesday, French local time. He noted that Durov has not been formally charged and was detained as part of cooperating with the investigation.
According to local law, after the maximum 96 hours of detention, the judge can usually make three decisions:
- Release or Bail : If sufficient evidence is not found while in custody to further pursue liability, the person may be released or released on bail.
- Referral to prosecutors : If police gather enough evidence while in custody, the case may be referred to prosecutors, who will decide whether to prosecute. If a decision is made to prosecute, the person concerned may be arrested and formally enter legal proceedings.
- Extended detention : In certain circumstances, prosecutors or courts may apply to extend detention, especially if the case is complex or requires more time to investigate.
Polymarket forecast: less than 40% chance of release in August
However, according to Polymarket's prediction betting, it is currently believed that the probability of Durov being released in August is only 35%, which does not seem so optimistic...
If investigators uncover enough evidence during interrogation, Durov's detention could be extended, or he could face formal charges and be transferred to pretrial detention, according to a French prosecutor's press release.
Durov was charged with 12 counts
According to a statement issued by the Paris prosecutor on the 26th, Pavel Durov is suspected of multiple crimes, including operating an online platform that allows illegal transactions, child pornography, illegal drug trade and fraud, refusing to report information to the authorities, money laundering and committing crimes. Molecules provide encryption services.
The specific 12 charges against Pavel Durov are as follows:
- Accomplice: Manage an online platform to assist a criminal group in conducting illegal transactions
- Refusal to provide relevant authorities with information or documents necessary to conduct and operate a legally permitted interception
- Accomplice: Possession of pornographic images of minors
- Accomplice: Organizing a criminal group to disseminate, provide or publish pornographic images of minors
- Accomplice: Obtaining, transporting, possessing, providing or transferring drugs
- Complicity: Providing, transferring or making available without justifiable reasons equipment, tools, programs or data designed or adapted to disrupt and gain access to automated data processing systems,
- Accomplice: Organizational Fraud
- Participating in a crime or criminal group with the intention of committing a crime or misdemeanor punishable by at least 5 years in prison
- Money Laundering: Proceeds from Organized Group Crime and Crime
- Providing encryption services designed to ensure confidentiality without declaration of certification
- Providing undeclared encryption tools that go beyond authentication or integrity monitoring,
- Import cryptographic tools that do more than just authentication or integrity monitoring and are not declared in advance.
Macron denies arrest politically motivated
Previously, French President Macron issued a statement denying that the arrest of Pavel Durov was based on political motives. He emphasized that the arrest of the founder of Telegram on French soil was part of an ongoing judicial investigation and was by no means a political decision. The final result It will be up to a judge to decide.
Multiple French government websites suffered DDoS attacks
Another news that has not yet been confirmed is that the websites of several French government departments have temporarily stopped operating due to distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks, including the official websites of the Paris Administrative Court, the French health department, and the Supreme Court. Some French media speculated that the attack may be related to Durov's arrest in France.
