French authorities ease travel restrictions for Pavel Durov
Telegram founder Pavel Durov has been granted limited permission to leave France, where he remains under judicial investigation, reports a Kazinform News Agency correspondent.
The 40-year-old entrepreneur, who was detained in Paris in 2024, is now allowed to travel to Dubai for up to 14 consecutive days, French judicial authorities confirmed.
In March, Durov was first authorized to travel outside France, visiting Dubai, where Telegram is headquartered and his family resides. On Thursday, it was confirmed that starting July 10, Pavel Durov will be permitted to leave metropolitan France for a maximum of 14 consecutive days, provided he informs the investigating judge at least one week in advance. The measure only applies to travel to Dubai.
The Paris Court of Appeal’s decision was welcomed by Telegram. “We are confident that the obligation to return to France every two weeks will also be lifted later this year, allowing Mr. Durov to devote himself fully to Telegram and its users,” the company told AFP.
Durov’s legal team continues to criticize the basis of the proceedings.
“The judicial supervision obligations imposed on Pavel Durov had become unfounded and totally disproportionate, as were the charges brought by the prosecutor,” said his lawyer David-Olivier Kaminski.
Despite this limited easing of restrictions, Durov’s requests to travel to other countries - including the United States and Norway - have been denied.
In an interview with Le Point published this week, Durov described the ban on leaving France as having affected him “enormously,” and called the accusations “completely absurd.”
“I have a newborn son and I am missing the first months of his life,” he said. “It seems that I am already being punished at this stage by being banned from leaving the country.” Durov also mentioned his parents’ health concerns.
Commenting on the situation in France, Durov warned of impending societal collapse.
“Emmanuel Macron isn’t making the right choices,” he said. “I’m very disappointed. France is getting weaker and weaker.”
According to Durov, pro-censorship policies and excessive regulation are pushing talent away from France and toward regions more open to innovation.
“When we delay necessary reforms too long, we end up experiencing a collapse,” he stated. He also cautioned that once state-driven social engineering takes root across one or two generations, it may take decades to reverse the consequences.
At this time, Durov remains under formal investigation in France for alleged “complicity” in allowing illegal activity on the Telegram platform, including illicit trade and distribution of child abuse imagery - allegations he categorically denies.
Earlier, it was reported that France has denied allegations made by Telegram founder Pavel Durov, who claimed that a Western European country attempted to interfere in Romania’s presidential elections. The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement expressing a “categorical rejection” of the accusations.
