A French court has prohibited Pavel Durov, co-founder of Telegram, from traveling to Norway to attend the Oslo Freedom Forum, where he was scheduled to deliver a keynote speech. The Human Rights Foundation confirmed that Durov will instead present his speech via livestream. The travel ban is part of ongoing legal restrictions imposed on Durov within France, where he has been indicted on six charges related to Telegram's alleged misuse.
Durov has publicly accused French intelligence officials, specifically the head Nicolas Lerner, of pressuring him to censor political content on Telegram ahead of Romania's presidential elections. He rejected these demands, labeling them as unjustified interference with democratic processes. Despite the pressures, Durov asserted that Telegram remains committed to not restricting protestors’ voices, even under authoritarian regimes, and would rather exit markets than participate in political censorship.
Alongside the travel ban to Norway, Durov was also blocked from traveling to the United States for investment meetings. While he was allowed to travel to Dubai earlier in the year, recent requests for international travel have been denied due to the legal case in France. Durov holds multiple citizenships but remains under strict legal supervision targeting his actions related to Telegram.
Moreover, Telegram has recently removed thousands of channels linked to criminal networks responsible for illicit transactions totaling over $35 billion. These operations have utilized Telegram's encrypted platform to facilitate various crimes, including money laundering, identity fraud, and cyber extortion. Telegram's actions signal attempts to tackle misuse but continue to face scrutiny over enabling such ecosystems.