Pavel Durov, the founder of the messaging platform Telegram, has been granted temporary permission to leave France and has relocated to Dubai, according to sources cited by AFP.
“He departed France this morning,” a source familiar with the case told AFP, adding Durov had left with the authorities’ permission.
According to another source, an investigating judge had authorised him to leave France for “several weeks.”
An investigating judge has authorized Pavel Durov to leave France for “several weeks.”
Another source confirmed that Durov has departed for Dubai.
When contacted by AFP, a Telegram spokeswoman declined to comment, stating that the company would issue a statement later.
A source close to the case stated that the investigating judge approved Durov’s request to modify his supervision conditions several days ago.
Durov, now 40, was dramatically detained at Le Bourget Airport near Paris in August 2024 and charged with multiple violations related to the messaging app he founded.
He had been banned from leaving France until the recent court decision.
After days of questioning, Durov was charged with multiple counts of failing to curb extremist and terrorist content.
He was then released on bail set at five million euros ($5.6 million).
Durov, a citizen of Russia, France, and the UAE, initially condemned his arrest but has since taken actions that seem to comply with Paris’s demands.
