Pavel Durov, the founder and CEO of the popular messaging service Telegram, has been denied permission by a French court to travel from France to Norway for a human rights conference, organizers confirmed on Saturday. This marks another instance of travel restrictions for Durov, who was detained in Paris in 2024 and remains under formal investigation concerning illicit content on his platform.
Durov, 40, was scheduled to address the Oslo Freedom Forum on Tuesday, intending to speak on crucial topics such as free speech, surveillance, and digital rights at the annual gathering. However, the Human Rights Foundation (HRF), the event’s organizer, announced that a French court had prohibited his in-person attendance. Durov is now expected to participate virtually.
“It is unfortunate that French courts would block Mr. Durov from participating in an event where his voice is so needed,” stated Thor Halvorssen, founder and CEO of the HRF. He further emphasized the significance of platforms like Telegram for those combating oppression, calling the decision “a setback for freedom.”
This incident follows a period of fluctuating travel allowances for Durov. In March, he was permitted to depart France and travel to Dubai, where Telegram’s operations are headquartered. However, earlier this week, he was reportedly prevented from traveling to the United States for discussions with investment funds.
Since his initial arrest, Durov has seemingly acceded to demands from Parisian authorities for more stringent measures against illegal content, including child abuse material and drug trafficking, on Telegram. Despite this, he has also made allegations that the head of France’s DGSE overseas intelligence service requested the banning of pro-Russian accounts from the platform before recent presidential elections in Romania—claims that the DGSE has vehemently denied.
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