The investigation that led to the arrest of Telegram founder Pavel Durov is being conducted against “unspecified people.” What else is going on in this case?
Durov was taken to court, where a decision will be made on whether to bring charges against him. The current 12 charges previously attributed to him may not apply to him at all. According to Reuters, the prosecutor’s office did not say what crime Durov is suspected of committing. Moreover, the statement refers to an unnamed person.
“The overall investigation is at this stage directed against unspecified people.”
The agency recalled that on Aug. 28, French judges must decide whether to release the Telegram founder or launch an official investigation. At the same time, an official investigation does not imply guilt and does not necessarily lead to a trial. In addition, it can last for years before being transferred to court.
“Should Durov, who has been in police custody since his arrest, be placed under formal investigation, judges will also decide whether to put him in pretrial detention. One of the factors they will consider is whether he could try to flee.”
After 96 hours, the court must either release the businessman or bring charges against him. In the latter case, a Parisian lawyer suggested in a conversation with The Financial Times that Durov could be placed under house arrest or given a written undertaking not to leave.
According to media reports, arrest warrants for Pavel Durov, as well as his brother Nikolai, were issued in France on charges including conspiracy in the possession and distribution of child pornography back in March. Politico reports that Nikolai is currently wanted in France.
Support from Digital Resistance
Meanwhile, a bot has appeared on Telegram to collect signatures for Durov’s release. The bot’s authors stated that the arrest of the messenger’s founder is unacceptable.
“We strongly condemn the arrest of Mr. Pavel Durov by the French authorities, a blatant attack on the freedom of expression and the right to private life.”
The report also says many famous people, including Elon Musk and Vitalik Buterin.
Special operations of France and the UAE to open Durov’s iPhone
Meanwhile, the French press is actively discussing the version that President Emmanuel Macron personally lured Durov to Paris. On the day of his arrest, they were supposed to have dinner together.
The Wall Street Journal also reported that the French special services, together with their colleagues from the United Arab Emirates, organized an operation codenamed Purple Music in 2017, during which they hacked Durov’s iPhone.
This operation was launched amid concerns from the French authorities that Telegram was allegedly actively used to sell drugs and commit cybercrimes and by Islamic State militants to recruit new supporters.
However, in 2018, Durov met with French President Emmanuel Macron for a private dinner, during which he received an offer from the head of the republic to move Telegram’s headquarters to Paris, which he refused.
Macron turned out to be a Telegram lover
According to media reports, Macron, who actively uses Telegram himself, said that Durov’s arrest was in no way a political matter. The businessman was detained as part of an ongoing investigation, and the court should decide on the case.
“Macron has been a Telegram user since the early days of his first presidential campaign. Nearly a decade later, the app remains widely used by both cabinet members and political officials of all ranks and parties, particularly within pro-Macron circles.”
What will happen to TON after Durov’s arrest?
Toncoin (TON), used for transactions within Telegram, reacted to the news of Durov’s arrest by falling by almost 20%.
Despite the arrest of the messenger’s founder, investors are still interested in TON-based tokens, for example, the DOGS token was listed on Aug. 26.
In addition, Telegram is also developing an ecosystem of crypto games operating on the TON blockchain network. Among the most successful are Notcoin and Hamster Kombat, which previously launched #FreeDurov cards.
Anonymous crypto analysts also believe that TON’s decline was temporary.
With Mini App growing in popularity on Telegram, the TON ecosystem is likely to continue growing, as it is clear that it brings great value to the crypto community. Durov’s arrest could become a notable precedent for cryptocurrency supporters in different parts of the world to unite in support of TON. However, there are no signs of recovery yet — TON is trading at $5.45.
