Founder of the messaging app Telegram, Pavel Durov, has flown to Dubai from France with permission from a French court, according to a report by Barron’s.
“He departed France this morning,” an unnamed source familiar with the case told AFP.
A second source told AFP that an investigating judge granted Durov’s request to leave France for “several weeks.”
Durov’s legal trouble began last year
Durov was abruptly arrested by French authorities at the Le Bourget airport in Paris on Aug. 24. Following his arrest, Durov was slapped with a litany of charges on Aug. 26, including complicity in child exploitation, drug trafficking, and other organized criminal activities.
The French authorities alleged that through its lack of content moderation, Telegram, and thereby Durov, facilitated illicit activities, including distribution of child pornography and drug trafficking. The authorities claimed that Durov could face up to 10 years in prison along with a fine of €500,000…
