In March, French authorities issued arrest warrants not only for Telegram CEO Pavel Durov, but also for his brother Nikolai, Politico reported, citing a French administrative document obtained access, cited by Focus.
The document reveals that the Telegram investigation by French authorities was more extensive and began months earlier than initially known. The case is related to Telegram's refusal to cooperate with French police in an investigation into child sexual abuse.
The document also highlights the “virtually complete lack of cooperation” by Telegram with the French and European authorities. Pavel and Nikolay Durovi are accused of “participating in storing, distributing, offering or providing pornographic images of minors as part of an organized group”. On March 25, arrest warrants were issued for the two brothers, co-founders of the platform. French media previously reported that the investigation began in July.
The arrest warrants were issued after the platform provided “no response” of a legal request to identify a Telegram user. The Paris prosecutor's office's cybercrimes department previously conducted an undercover investigation into the platform.
However, the document does not contain any evidence that the Durov brothers were directly involved in illegal activities uncovered by the investigation.
Telegram's vice president, Ilya Perekopsky, is also mentioned in the case summary, but the document does not specify whether an arrest warrant has been issued against him.
Pavel Durov's lawyer refused to comment on the investigation, and the prosecutor's office also refused to comment, citing the secrecy of the investigation. “At this stage, the only person who has been questioned in the case is Pavel Durov,” added the prosecutor's office. The current whereabouts of Nikolay Durov remain unknown.