French authorities issued arrest warrants for Pavel Durov and his brother Nikolai back in March, the publication reports. Politicohaving familiarized himself with the relevant documentation.
According to her, the case was initiated in connection with Telegram’s refusal to cooperate with the investigation into the facts of sexual abuse of children. Arrest warrants for the platform’s co-founders were issued on March 25, after they “failed to respond” to an earlier court request to identify the messenger user.
The latter, according to the investigation, persuaded underage girls to send “self-made child pornography” by threatening to publish it on social networks. Later, this suspect also reported that he “raped a small child.”
The document highlights Telegram’s “almost complete lack of cooperation” with French and European authorities in other cases, as well as the use of the platform by “numerous criminal groups.”
The warrants for the Durov brothers were issued on charges including “aiding and abetting the possession, distribution, offering or provision of pornographic images of minors as part of an organized group.” There is no indication that either Durov brother was directly involved in any of the illegal activities uncovered by the investigation.
The case summary mentions Telegram Vice President Ilya Perekopsky, although the document does not indicate whether a warrant was issued for his arrest.
The French prosecutor’s office declined to comment on the case, citing its secrecy. They said the basis for the investigation was, among other things, “offences committed via Telegram related to child pornography.”
The current whereabouts of Nikolai Durov are unknown.
Pavel Durov’s interrogation has been extended to a maximum of 96 hours and will end on Wednesday, August 28, after which he may be charged or released.
The founder of Telegram was detained at Le Bourget airport in France on the evening of August 24. The entrepreneur is being questioned as part of an investigation into the crimes of an “unidentified person” under 12 articles. He himself has not been charged.
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Source: Cryptocurrency

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