France barred Telegram founder Pavel Durov from traveling to US

PARIS — French authorities have denied Telegram founder Pavel Durov’s request to travel to the U.S. for “negotiations with investment funds.”

The Paris prosecutor’s office told POLITICO that it rendered its decision on May 12 “on the grounds that such a trip abroad did not appear imperative or justified.”

Durov was arrested in August 2024 at a French airport and has been under strict legal control since last September, when he was indicted on six charges related to illicit activity on the messaging app he operates.

He is forbidden to leave France without authorization — which he obtained to travel to Dubai from March 15 to April 7, the prosecutor’s office said. Russian-born Durov is a citizen, among other countries, of France and the United Arab Emirates. 

Durov’s lawyers in France did not immediately respond to POLITICO’s request for comment. POLITICO has also reached out to his U.S.-based spokesperson for comment.

Durov has grown increasingly critical of French authorities since his arrest.

On Sunday, as voters headed to the polls for the Romanian presidential election runoff, Durov alleged that the French government — including the head of France’s foreign intelligence agency, Nicolas Lerner — asked him to ban conservative voices on Telegram ahead of the vote.

Paris vehemently denied Durov’s claims.