Pavel Durov, the Russian-born founder and CEO of Telegram, has announced his return to Dubai after spending several months in France under legal restrictions, Reuters reports.
Durov was detained at an airport near Paris in August and subsequently placed under formal investigation, which included a ban on leaving the country. The probe relates to alleged criminal activities on Telegram, a messaging platform widely used for both private communication and public broadcasting.
While the investigation remains ongoing, Durov expressed relief at being allowed to leave. “It feels great to be home,” he stated, thanking the investigative judges for permitting his return, as well as his legal team and colleagues for their efforts in proving Telegram’s commitment to moderation and crime prevention.
“I want to thank the investigative judges for letting this happen, as well as my lawyers and team for their relentless efforts in demonstrating that, when it comes to moderation, cooperation, and fighting crime, for years Telegram not only met but exceeded its legal obligations,” he said.
