Sawt Falasteen - France lifts travel ban on Telegram founder Durov

The Russian-born entrepreneur, 41, was detained in Paris in 2024 and is under formal investigation by French authorities over the platform's alleged complicity in criminal activity.

Durov, who was initially banned from leaving France, had his judicial control relaxed in July, allowing him to reside in the United Arab Emirates, where Telegram is based, for a maximum of two weeks at a time.

Now authorities have fully lifted his travel ban, and he is no longer required to report to police in the southern city of Nice.

For the past year, Durov "has fully complied with his judicial supervision," the judicial source told AFP, speaking on the condition of anonymity.

Durov, who holds French and Russian passports, has been accused of complicity in running an online platform that allowed illicit transactions, images of child sex abuse and other illegal content.

During initial questioning in December 2024, the tech entrepreneur acknowledged a growing criminal presence on the platform and pledged to strengthen content oversight.

But Durov has accused French authorities of failing to follow proper legal procedures when submitting content moderation inquiries.

He has denied the allegations and condemned his arrest as doing "massive damage to France's image as a free country".

His lawyers declined to comment when contacted by AFP.

O.Salim--SF-PST