AGS NEWS – Telegram founder Pavel Durov is under formal investigation in France and has been barred from leaving the country, according to a statement released by a French prosecutor on Wednesday.

The Russian-born billionaire is being investigated for several suspected offenses, including complicity in illegal gang transactions, money laundering, and refusal to provide information to authorities.

Durov, who was detained at Paris’s Bourget Airport on Saturday, has been placed under judicial supervision, with bail set at $5.56 million (5 million euros).

He is required to report to a French police station twice a week. Although he has not been formally charged, the formal investigation indicates that prosecutors believe there is enough evidence to warrant a serious official inquiry.

The French National Office for Minors has also reported Telegram’s “near absence of response” to court requests related to offenses such as trafficking, online hate speech, and crimes involving pedophilia.

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Durov faces potential charges for complicity in administering a platform that enables illegal transactions, which could carry a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.

Durov’s arrest has sparked concerns over freedom of speech, particularly in Ukraine and Russia, where Telegram is widely used.

The Russian government has criticized France for detaining Durov, with Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova accusing the French leadership of violating international norms regarding freedom of speech.

French President Emmanuel Macron has stated that the decision to investigate Durov is “in no way political.”

Durov, who co-founded Telegram in 2013 with his brother Nikolai, now oversees a platform with over 950 million users worldwide.

Despite its popularity, Telegram has faced criticism for its lack of content moderation and its use by criminal groups, including those involved in the 2015 Paris terror attacks.