Durov questioned for fourth time as Telegram probe continues

Telegram founder Pavel Durov has been questioned again in Paris as part of an ongoing investigation into the platform’s alleged links to criminal activity, Le Figaro reported, citing sources.

According to the report, the latest interrogation lasted more than six hours and marks the fourth time Durov has been questioned since formal charges were brought against him in 2024.

“Nearly two years after Pavel Durov was formally charged, there is still no evidence to support these accusations,” three of his lawyers told AFP following the questioning. The defence added that it has filed complaints in France and with European judicial authorities.

Durov was detained at a Paris airport on August 24, 2024, over allegations related to Telegram’s content moderation practices. French authorities accuse him of failing to adequately moderate content and of not cooperating sufficiently with law enforcement, which investigators argue makes him complicit in crimes including the distribution of child pornography, drug trafficking and fraud.

Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau said on May 17, 2026, that the investigation remains ongoing and that Durov continues to be under judicial control, despite having previously secured the lifting of judicial supervision.

Separately, AFP reported on November 13, 2025, that French authorities had lifted restrictions on Durov’s movements. He had previously been permitted only limited travel to Dubai, where he resides, but since mid-November has been allowed to leave France freely and is no longer required to report regularly to a police station in Nice.

Telegram has also faced regulatory pressure in Russia, where its services have been slowed since February 2026 over alleged non-compliance with local laws. Calls via Telegram and WhatsApp have been blocked in the country since August 2025, with regulator Roskomnadzor citing their use in fraudulent activities. In late February, Durov said a criminal case had been opened against him in Russia on charges of facilitating terrorism.

By Tamilla Hasanova