Pavel Durov, the visionary behind the popular messaging platform Telegram, has moved from France to Dubai. This relocation took place following the green light from the French court on March 13. Dubai boasts a business-friendly atmosphere and absence of extradition agreements with numerous countries worldwide. The details of the court-ordered departure though remain hazy, fueling discussions around jurisdiction, privacy, and tech leaders’ role in curbing illegitimate activities on their platforms.
It was asserted that Durov who had been granted permission to exit France weeks ago, exited with official approval. Durov’s run-ins with the law started on Aug. 24, when he was temporarily detained at Le Bourget airport in Paris. The French prosecutors claimed Durov’s platform was facilitating illicit activities.
Durov’s departure saw a positive surge in the crypto market. Toncoin, TON’s native cryptocurrency, registered a significant 18% ascent in market price. These details were sourced from Cointelegraph Markets Pro and TradingView.
The murmurs suggest that Durov may have settled his case in France or was allowed to leave while the court case carries on. With neither Durov nor French Government confirming the reports, the details remain uncertain.
Lastly, Durov, a holder of Russian, French and UAE passports, had his departure preceded by Russian programmer Alexander Vinnik’s release. Vinnik, former operator of now-defunct cryptocurrency exchange BTC-e, was returned to Russia following a prolonged dispute over his custody and charge since his apprehension in 2017.