- Pavel Durov has been questioned for the fourth time within the ongoing Telegram prison investigation in France.
- Durov’s legal professionals mentioned prosecutors had not offered any proof and have been contesting the case.
- Telegram mentioned cooperation with French authorities had improved, however the investigation was nonetheless ongoing.
Telegram founder Pavel Durov has been questioned for the fourth time by a French investigating decide as authorities proceed their prison investigation into the messaging platform.
Durov answered questions for greater than six hours in Paris on Wednesday, the folks mentioned. That is the fourth time he has been investigated since he was formally indicted in 2024.
The lawsuit focuses on allegations that Telegram did not correctly handle unlawful content material and cooperate with regulation enforcement.
Protection and prosecution say they don’t have any proof
After the most recent interrogation, Durov’s protection workforce mentioned prosecutors had not but offered proof to assist the fees.
“Virtually two years after Pavel Durov was formally charged, there’s nonetheless no proof to assist these expenses,” mentioned legal professionals Christophe Inglein, Robin Binsard and Guillaume Martine.
Legal professionals additionally mentioned that they had filed a authorized criticism with French and European judicial authorities, difficult the case in opposition to the billionaire entrepreneur.
French investigation stays energetic
French authorities arrested Durov on August 24, 2024, at Le Bourget Airport in Paris. It accused Durov of failing to stop prison exercise on Telegram.
Regulation enforcement authorities allege that weak content material controls and restricted cooperation with regulation enforcement allowed crimes akin to distribution of kid sexual abuse materials, drug trafficking and fraud to flourish on the platform.
At a courtroom look in December 2024, Durov admitted that the criminals used Telegram. However he mentioned they have been solely a “small fraction” of the platform’s customers. He additionally maintained that Telegram was by no means designed to facilitate prison exercise.
Paris prosecutor Laure Becuau mentioned in Might 2026 that the investigation was nonetheless ongoing. Durov additionally stays below judicial management.
Journey restrictions eased however pressures proceed
French authorities lifted journey restrictions on Durov in November 2025. Beforehand, they have been restricted to touring to Dubai, the place they stay, however now they’ll journey freely. Nonetheless, the prison investigation stays energetic.
Telegram mentioned on Wednesday that cooperation with French authorities had improved. The corporate mentioned the principle change after Durov’s arrest was that French authorities now submitted authorized requests by means of the right channels.
The platform can be going through regulatory stress elsewhere. Russian authorities have restricted entry to Telegram since February 2026 because of suspected authorized violations. Voice calls on Telegram and WhatsApp have additionally been blocked since August 2025, citing issues that scammers are utilizing the companies.
Earlier this yr, Durov revealed that Russian authorities had opened a separate prison case in opposition to him for aiding and abetting terrorism.
Associated: Telegram founder Durov hyperlinks 41 French cryptocurrency kidnappings to tax leaks
Disclaimer: The knowledge contained on this article is for informational and academic functions solely. This text doesn’t represent monetary recommendation or recommendation of any type. Coin Version will not be answerable for any losses incurred on account of using the content material, merchandise, or companies talked about. We encourage our readers to do their due diligence earlier than taking any motion associated to our firm.