Indictment of Telegram CEO Pavel Durov

Telegram CEO Pavel Durov was indicted by a French court on Wednesday, according to Bloomberg.

Durov faces charges of “complicity in the spread of sexual images of children and other crimes such as drug trafficking on the messaging app,” the report states.

French authorities released Durov but placed him under “judicial supervision,” requiring him to remain in France. He must also pay a 5 million euro deposit, as reported by Reuters.

Earlier that day, Durov was released from French police custody and appeared in court. His initial arrest was part of a broad cybercrime investigation involving allegations that Telegram provided encryption tools contributing to money laundering, child pornography, and drug trafficking.

In response to his arrest, several notable figures in the crypto space, including TON developers and the TON Society, an organization advocating for the TON blockchain, expressed their support for Durov’s release.

French President Emmanuel Macron stated that Durov’s arrest was part of an ongoing judicial investigation and was “in no way a political decision.”