Breaking: French Judge Fully Lifts Restrictions on Telegram Founder Pavel Durov

A French investigating judge today, November 13, 2025, fully lifted the judicial supervision imposed on Pavel Durov, the CEO and founder of Telegram, ending his 15 months of travel restrictions and mandatory police check-ins.

From November 10, 2025, Durov is no longer required to seek prior authorization if he wants to leave the country and does not need to report periodically to a police station in Nice, France.

The 12 Charges That Kept Durov Grounded in France for Over a Year  

Durov, the 41-year-old entrepreneur who holds French, Russian, St. Kitts and Nevis, and United Arab Emirates citizenship, was arrested on August 24, 2024, at Le Bourget airport outside Paris shortly after arriving from Azerbaijan on a private jet. 

Following his arrest, the prosecutors placed him under formal investigation on 12 counts, including complicity in running an online platform that allegedly allowed child sexual abuse material, drug trafficking, organized fraud, and refusal to provide encryption keys or user data to law enforcement. 

Sources close to the case claimed that Durov complied with all conditions imposed since the beginning of the investigation. If convicted on the most serious charges, Durov faces up to 10 years in prison and a €500,000 fine.

Telegram, which now reports more than 950 million monthly active users, has maintained that its end-to-end encryption and limited proactive moderation are essential for user privacy. The company says it complies with European Union regulations, including the Digital Services Act and it has continued to improve its content-moderation policies since 2024.

Travel Ban Gone, But Criminal Probe Against Telegram CEO Continues  

While the complete removal of judicial supervision is a major sign of personal relief for Durov, allowing him to operate freely from Telegram’s headquarters in Dubai,  the criminal investigation remains fully active. 

No trial date has been fixed at the moment, and French prosecutors can still request his presence for questioning.

Durov’s restrictions have been progressively eased in 2025. With his first authorized short trip abroad in March, followed by another permission in June and July that allowed him to stay up to two weeks in the UAE.

TON Token Jumps as Crypto Community Celebrates Durov’s Freedom  

The news of Durov’s restriction being lifted was celebrated in cryptocurrency communities that are closely affiliated with Telegram’s TON blockchain. 

Many community members described the news as a “victory for digital freedom,” and the TON token saw a 3% surge in the hours following the announcement.

A Telegram spokesperson has refused to issue any comment beyond restating the company’s commitment to user privacy and cooperation with lawful authorities. Durov’s legal team also declined to comment on the matter as things stand.

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