Telegram founder Pavel Durov has been denied permission to leave France for the United States as French authorities continue to impose strict legal controls on the Russian-born entrepreneur following his arrest in August 2024.
According to the Paris prosecutor’s office, Durov’s request to travel for “negotiations with investment funds” was rejected on May 12th “on the grounds that such a trip abroad did not appear imperative or justified.”
Durov, who holds citizenship in both France and the United Arab Emirates, was arrested at a French airport last summer and has remained under judicial control since September. He currently faces six indictments linked to allegations of illicit activity on the Telegram platform.
The founder is barred from leaving France without official authorization. Since his arrest, Durov has grown more vocal in his criticism of French authorities. On Sunday, as Romanians cast their ballots in the presidential election runoff, Durov accused the French government of pressuring him to ban conservative voices on Telegram in the lead-up to the vote. Paris officials have categorically denied the claims.
