Telegram founder Pavel Durov has received permission from a French court to temporarily leave the country and head to Dubai. The move came after the court granted a request to change the terms of Durov’s supervision, allowing him to leave France for several weeks.
Durov was arrested in France in August 2024 on charges of involvement in the distribution of child pornography and other illegal activities via Telegram. After more than 80 hours in custody, he was released on bail of €5 million and placed under judicial supervision with a ban on leaving the country.
In January 2025, Durov promised to improve Telegram’s moderation, saying the platform was deleting millions of accounts for breaking the law and cooperating with law enforcement. The criminal case against him is not expected to be heard in court for the next year.
Dubai, known for its business-friendly environment and lack of extradition treaties with many countries, became Durov’s new home during his temporary absence from France.
