French investigative judges have placed Russian-born tech billionaire Pavel Durov under formal investigation after four days of custody, the Paris prosecutor has said, as part of a probe into the role of his messaging app Telegram in organised crime.
Being placed under formal investigation in France does not imply guilt or necessarily lead to trial but shows judicial authorities consider there is enough to the case to proceed with the probe.
Mr Durov was granted bail on condition that he pay a €5 million deposit.
He is also under the obligation to sign on with the police twice a week and is not allowed to leave France.
Russian-born Durov, 39, was arrested at Le Bourget airport outside Paris late on Saturday.
As part of a probe that was confidentially opened on 8 July, Mr Durov is being investigated on suspicion of 12 offences related to failing to curb extremist content on Telegram.
The tech mogul founded Telegram as he was in the process of quitting his native Russia a decade ago. Its growth has been exponential, with the app now boasting over 900 million users.
An enigmatic figure who rarely speaks in public, Mr Durov is a citizen of Russia, France and the United Arab Emirates, where Telegram is based.
Forbes magazine estimates his current fortune at $15.5bn (€13.9bn), though he proudly promotes the virtues of an ascetic life that includes ice baths and not drinking alcohol or coffee.
Numerous questions have been raised about the timing and circumstances of Mr Durov's detention, in particular why he flew into Paris apparently knowing a warrant had been issued against him.
'In no way political' - Macron
In a post on X earlier to address what he called "false information" concerning the case, French President Emmanuel Macron said Mr Durov's arrest "took place as part of an ongoing judicial investigation".
"It is in no way a political decision. It is up to the judges to rule on the matter," he wrote in a highly unusual comment on a legal case.
In Moscow, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the charges were very serious and thus needed "no less serious evidence".
"Otherwise this would be a direct attempt to restrict freedom of communication, and, I might even say, directly intimidate the head of a large company," he said.
The UAE meanwhile said it was "closely following the case" and had requested consular access for its citizen.
Among those voicing support for Durov is fellow tech tycoon and chief executive of X, Elon Musk, who has posted comments under the hashtag #FreePavel.
'Nothing to hide' - Telegram
Telegram said in response that "Durov has nothing to hide and travels frequently in Europe".
"Telegram abides by EU laws, including the Digital Services Act - its moderation is within industry standards," it added.
"It is absurd to claim that a platform or its owner are responsible for abuse of that platform."
Telegram has positioned itself as a "neutral" alternative to US-owned platforms, which have been criticised for their commercial exploitation of users' personal data.
It has also played a key role since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, used actively by politicians and commentators on both sides of the war.
But critics accuse it of hosting often illegal content ranging from extreme sexual imagery to disinformation and narcotics services.
