Pavel Durov, the founder of Telegram, was reportedly questioned in a Paris court for the first time regarding a legal case involving allegations of the messenger app facilitating criminal activity.

Durov appeared in a Parisian court at 10:00 am CET on Dec. 6, alongside his lawyers David-Olivier Kaminski and Christophe Ingrain.

An anonymous source familiar with the matter told the Agence France-Presse (AFP) that the questioning focused on the allegations tied to Telegram’s potential use for illicit transactions.

When asked about the legal proceedings, Durov reportedly told the AFP that he “trusts the French justice” system but refused to elaborate on the case.

The Telegram founder’s legal issues began on Aug. 24, when he was temporarily arrested at Le Bourget airport in Paris.

He was released after posting a $6 million bail but remains restricted from leaving France until March 2025. French prosecutors accused Durov of running a platform that allegedly enables illegal activities, citing preliminary charges announced on Aug. 28.

Industry insiders are worried that the case against Durov raises alarming concerns for privacy-preserving Web3 technologies.

Related: Pavel Durov breaks silence for first time since arrest

The legal case against Durov: What you need to know

Parquet de Paris, the Paris prosecutor’s office, issued an official statement of preliminary charges against Durov on Aug. 28, accusing the Telegram founder of facilitating a platform that enables illicit transactions. If convicted, Durov could face up to 10 years in prison and a fine of 500,000 euros ($550,000).

According to the prosecutor’s office, France launched a preliminary investigation into Telegram in February 2024, which escalated to a judicial inquiry on July 8 — more than one month before Durov’s arrest in Paris.

In another development, Durov’s phone was reportedly hacked in 2017, a year before his meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron, anonymous sources familiar with the matter told The Wall Street Journal.

Emmanuel Macron denies claims he invited Durov to France shorts. Source: YouTube

Industry insiders have previously voiced their concerns over Durov’s arrest having worrying implications for the cryptocurrency space.

Related: Telegram founder Pavel Durov arrested — What we know so far

Durov’s arrest sparks Web3 privacy concerns

The case raises alarming similarities with the arrest of Tornado Cash developer Alexey Pertsev, according to Vyara Savova, the senior policy lead at the European Crypto Initiative.

Savova told Cointelegraph:

“Some parallels with Pertsev’s arrest and sentence can already be made, such as that these are actions of individual member states that do not represent a procedure brought up by the EU or its executive body, the European Commission.”

The arrest could also indicate a troubling assault on developers of privacy-preserving technologies, according to Nikolay Denisenko, co-founder and chief technology officer of the financial app Brighty, who shared his views with Cointelegraph:

“This of course raises concerns about potential government overreach and the broader implications for digital privacy.”

Pertsev’s pre-trial detention was prolonged while he awaited legal proceedings, which he said hampered his ability to prepare for an appeal, Cointelegraph reported on Nov. 23.

However, in a significant legal victory on Nov. 26, a Fifth Circuit Appeals Court’s three-judge panel said the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) exceeded its authority in sanctioning Tornado Cash’s immutable smart contracts — reversing a lower court’s decision and granting the platform’s users a partial summary judgment. 

Editor’s Choice: Durov Detained, OpenSea’s SEC Battle, Ethereum Spending, Celsius Payouts and More. Source: YouTube

Magazine: Did Telegram’s Pavel Durov commit a crime? Crypto lawyers weigh in