French court blocks Pavel Durov’s travel to Oslo Freedom Forum

A French court has barred Telegram co-founder Pavel Durov from attending the Oslo Freedom Forum in person this year, denying his request to travel to Norway for the conference.

The Russian technology entrepreneur will deliver his keynote speech remotely via livestream despite the travel ban, according to the Human Rights Foundation (HRF.)

The Oslo Freedom Forum is organized by the Human Rights Foundation (HRF), a non-profit promoting freedom of speech and democracy globally.

HRF founder Thor Halvorssen said the decision was disappointing, adding that it was a shame the French courts had banned Mr. Durov from attending an event where his voice was so critical.

He has been the subject of legal investigation in France since August 2024. Durov was arrested while trying to leave the country at Le Bourget Airport near Paris. French prosecutors charged him with complicity in distributing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and refusal of assistance to law enforcement.

Telegram reportedly refused more than 3,000 law enforcement requests to provide evidence connected to criminal content.

Following his arrest, the entrepreneur was released on 5 million euro bail. But the court laid down conditions. He has been ordered to stay in France and report to police twice weekly.

Durov has said in court filings that the accusations are unfounded. He said that while Telegram has an EU-based legal representative to handle law enforcement requests, his company cooperates with such requests whenever possible.

In a public post, Mr. Durov said that his detention was unconstitutional. He added that Telegram was not a lawless zone and that the company was committed to improving moderation while protecting privacy and free speech.

Yet the court denied him permission to travel to Oslo. Judges ruled that the threat of him absconding was “high.”

Durov claims pressure to censor political content on Telegram

Telegram’s founder has claimed the French government has pressured the app to censor political content. Durov threw down a gauntlet in mid-May 2025 in a surprising maneuver.

He said French intelligence chief Nicolas Lerner personally instructed him to ban conservative political content ahead of Romania’s upcoming presidential election.

The meeting supposedly occurred at the Hôtel de Crillon in Paris, a grand luxury palace in the city. He said Lerner had asked him to “mute” voices of Romanian opposition on Telegram.

In a post on Telegram, the tech entrepreneur said that democracy cannot be defended by denying people the right to express their opinions.

The allegations have been denied by France’s DGSE (Directorate-General for External Security), under Lerner’s command. Officials said their discussions with Durov only touched on threats such as terrorism and child abuse material, not political content.

But the assertions set off an uproar online. Public figures, including the tech mogul Elon Musk and the whistle-blower Edward Snowden, rallied to Durov’s defense, saying the episode is part of a broader pattern of Western governments attempting to clamp down on online speech.

Supporters defend free speech amid Durov case

Durov’s supporters say the French charges are calculated for political reasons. They caution that holding platform founders responsible for internet users’ posts could threaten internet freedom.

One digital rights advocate said that if tech executives are going to be jailed every time they refuse to remove content that governments want taken down from social media, then no one is safe.

Others say platforms like Telegram need to do more to remove illegal content and safeguard vulnerable communities.

Durov says Telegram strikes the correct balance. He said that they did not censor protesters in Russia, Belarus, or Iran and that they would not start doing so in Europe.

Having Durov present, even virtually, is key to conversations around digital rights, according to the Human Rights Foundation.

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