French courts have granted Pavel Durov, the founder of Telegram, permission to leave France for Dubai for several weeks after amending the terms of his judicial supervision, according to Le Parisien, citing Agence France-Presse.
An informed source confirmed that he departed from Le Bourget Airport near Paris this morning with the approval of the authorities.
Durov was arrested last August at Le Bourget Airport and placed under formal investigation, but was released on bail of €5 million and banned from leaving France.
Durov faces criminal charges related to using Telegram for illegal activities such as distributing illegal materials, facilitating drug trafficking, and fraud, as well as accusations that the platform failed to cooperate with law enforcement.
Durov acknowledged problems at Telegram and pledged to improve oversight, stating that he realized the seriousness of the situation while detained in Paris.
During his interrogation in December, he confirmed that the platform removes between 15 and 20 million accounts per month, along with between one and two million channels and groups.
He also stated that Telegram provided identifying information for more than 10,000 users in the first half of 2024, but the investigating judge considered the number insignificant compared to the app's 950 million users.
The TON Foundation announced today that French authorities had returned Durov's passport, allowing him to leave the country, affirming its support for him and his commitment to freedom of expression and privacy online.
This announcement had a positive impact on the price of TON, which rose by 19% to $3.50, according to CoinGecko data.
