Telegram founder Pavel Durov has been released on bail after being arrested in France and questioned by an investigating judge, prosecutors in Paris said Wednesday evening.
A formal investigation has been opened against Durov on suspicion of failing to cooperate with authorities in criminal investigations and complicity in crimes committed through his messaging app, the Paris prosecutor’s office said.
Durov, who was wanted in France, was arrested on Saturday after arriving at Le Bourget airport in Paris. He was from Azerbaijan.
According to local media, his arrest came as part of a preliminary investigation into Telegram’s lack of moderation and cooperation with law enforcement regarding drug trafficking, fraud and child abuse on the social media platform.