France denied Pavel Durov permission to attend the “Freedom Forum”

Telegram founder Pavel Durov has been denied the opportunity to personally attend an international event dedicated to freedom of speech. A French court rejected his request to leave the country to deliver a speech at the “Freedom Forum” in Oslo, Norway. This was officially confirmed by the forum’s organizer — Human Rights Foundation (HRF).

Exclusion from a conference on freedom of speech

The event, where Durov was scheduled to speak about digital rights, personal data protection, and resisting state surveillance, was planned for May 27. Now, it is expected that he will participate via video conference.

HRF president Thor Halvorssen strongly criticized the court’s decision, stating: “This is a painful obstacle not just for Pavel, but for the entire freedom of speech movement.”

From court to court — Durov’s complex status in France

It is reported that Durov is currently under investigation and supervision in France. Authorities accuse him of allegedly using Telegram to conceal illegal activity: distributing pornography involving minors, deploying hacker tools, and laundering criminal money.

Because of this, French law prohibits him from leaving the country without authorization from law enforcement. While he was granted temporary permission to travel to Dubai from March 15 to April 7, the Paris prosecutor’s office rejected his May 12 request to visit the U.S. for “investment negotiations.”

Election interference and political pressure allegations

Another controversial episode occurred on May 18, when Durov accused the French government of interfering in the Romanian presidential elections. According to him, authorities demanded that Telegram remove accounts expressing conservative views. This was seen as a threat to freedom of thought. Paris denied the accusations as baseless.

In conclusion, political and legal pressure surrounding Pavel Durov continues to mount. His exclusion from a forum on freedom of speech raises serious questions not only about personal liberty, but about the future of digital democracy. The final outcome in France remains unclear, but one thing is evident: in the name of defending free speech, the speaker himself is being silenced. Read 'Zamin' on Telegram!