Telegram founder Pavel Durov has been allowed to temporarily leave France, where he is charged with multiple infractions linked to allegedly enabling organized crime, three sources with knowledge of the case told Agence France-Presse.
According to one source, an investigating judge had authorized him to leave France for "several weeks." He departed France on Saturday morning from Le Bourget airport outside Paris to travel to Dubai, another source told AFP.
Durov's lawyers were not immediately available for comment. A Telegram spokeswoman declined to comment when reached by AFP, saying the company would later issue a statement.
Durov, now 40, was sensationally detained at Le Bourget airport in August 2024 and charged with a litany of violations related to the popular messaging app he founded. He had been banned from leaving the country. After days of questioning, he was charged with several counts of failing to curb extremist and terrorist content and released on a €5-million ($5.6 million) bail.
Durov – who holds Russian, French and United Arab Emirates passports – initially criticized his arrest, but he has since announced steps appearing to bow to Paris's demands.