French Court Blocks Pavel Durov from Attending Oslo Freedom Forum
Pavel Durov, founder of Telegram, was denied entry to the Oslo Freedom Forum due to political pressure.
A French court has prohibited Telegram co-founder Pavel Durov from attending the Oslo Freedom Forum, a global conference that focuses on human rights and freedom of expression in Norway. The forum held by the Human Rights Foundation (HRF) was to have Durov as a speaker among others.
Instead, Durov will address the forum via livestream. The omission of HRF founder Thor Halvorssen from speaking in person was worrying; it was troubling that “a voice so vital to the conversation on liberty and digital rights” would be muted from speaking in person.
Their decision is due to the ongoing investigation in France. In late 2024, Durov was arrested in Paris. Authorities are accusing him of not cooperating with the police and aiding the distribution of illegal content on Telegram. He has been granted bail of €5 million and is expected to stay in France and report twice a week.
Durov denied all allegations, stating that they are unconstitutional and politically motivated. “As stated by Durov, Telegram works with various law enforcement agencies according to rules and laws; we protect users’ privacy and their freedom of speech.”
Durov charged that French intelligence chief Nicolas Lerner contacted him to censor the voices of conservative politicians ahead of the presidential election in Romania. He refused because silencing others is against democracy. You can’t protect democracy by destroying democracy, says the prime minister.
French authorities denied the core narrative, saying they only discussed terrorism and child protection. But Durov’s comments sparked worldwide debate, with Elon Musk and Edward Snowden standing in his defense, fearing state interference in digital speech.
Supporters say that the prosecution of tech leaders based on user content could threaten the internet. Critics, however, say platforms like Telegram need to do better at moderation to protect vulnerable users.
Telegram will never yield to political censorship, whether in the European Union or anywhere else. The platform previously refused to block protesters in Russia, Belarus, & Iran, and it will not censor the content now, he repeated.
Though he was not present in the flesh, Durov’s online presence at the forum shows that he still has a say in the world. As he continues to face legal challenges in France, the case has become a focal point in the ongoing debate surrounding governmental control over online platforms.
