August 30th 2024.
According to sources, French prosecutors have made a request for additional information from Switzerland regarding the allegations against Telegram founder Pavel Durov. The allegations state that Durov has committed acts of violence against one of his children, as claimed by his former partner Irina Bolgar. Bolgar filed a legal complaint in a Geneva court in March 2023, and the case has been ongoing since then.
In her statement to CNN, Bolgar revealed that she was in a relationship with Durov from 2013 to 2022, during which they had three children together. Currently, Bolgar and the children reside in Switzerland. Despite not being legally married, the children were officially recognized and carry Durov's last name, as stated by Bolgar on her Instagram account.
The legal complaint filed by Bolgar states that Durov's former partner has accused him of committing violence against one of their three children. CNN has reached out to Durov's lawyers for comment, but they have declined to respond. The ongoing case alleges that Durov has harmed his youngest son on five occasions between 2021 and 2022. In one instance, he is said to have threatened to kill him, as mentioned in the complaint.
Durov, who is 39 years old, was arrested at Paris's Bourget Airport on Saturday, following a warrant related to Telegram's lack of moderation. The platform has recently come under scrutiny for its use by terrorist groups and far-right extremists. The entrepreneur has been in the spotlight as he is currently under investigation for several offenses related to criminal activities on his messaging platform. He was released from custody on Wednesday and is required to remain in France under judicial supervision, with a bail set at $5.56 million.
According to the Swiss complaint against Durov, the alleged incidents have left the child in a state of anxiety, with regular sleep troubles, enuresis, and nightmares. Bolgar claims that after they separated in 2018, Durov had promised to contribute 150,000 Euros per month towards the maintenance of her and their children. He had given her two bank cards for this purpose, but the complaint states that he has since blocked them and has not seen his children since September 2022.
In a post on her Instagram account, Bolgar stated that she met Durov in 2012 and they began living together as a family in 2013 in St Petersburg, where their three children were born. However, since 2020, Bolgar and the children have been living in Switzerland. She also mentioned that despite living in different countries, their relationship remained like a family. Durov used to visit them in Switzerland with his mother and brother, as they remained a couple, according to Bolgar.
Bolgar also explained that she had not previously shared information about her family to avoid drawing attention to herself and her children. However, she changed her mind when her children started asking why there was no information about them on the internet, unlike their father's two older children. In her words, she decided to "shed some light" on the situation.
Durov's arrest has sparked a debate over freedom of speech, and it has raised concerns in Ukraine and Russia. The app is extremely popular in these countries and has become a crucial communication tool for military personnel and citizens during the conflict between Moscow and its neighbor. French President Emmanuel Macron has stated that he had no knowledge of Durov's travels to France and that his arrest was an independent action taken by the country's justice system.
Macron further defended his decision to grant Durov French nationality in 2021, citing the entrepreneur's efforts to learn the language. Durov's naturalization was part of a French government initiative that allows individuals who "shine in the world" and make an effort to learn French to apply for citizenship. Macron praised this scheme, stating that it was a "great thing for our country."
Durov, who was born in the Soviet Union in 1984, gained fame in his 20s and was known as the "Mark Zuckerberg of Russia." He left the country in 2014 and now resides in Dubai, where Telegram's headquarters are located. He also holds French citizenship and has an estimated net worth of $9.15 billion. However, while his app has been praised for its privacy features and enabling communication in restrictive countries, it has also faced criticism for being a safe haven for illegal activities, including planning the 2015 Paris terror attacks.
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