French prosecutors have confirmed that they have requested additional information from Swiss authorities regarding allegations that Pavel Durov, the founder of Telegram, committed “acts of violence” against one of his children.
The claims were made by Irina Bolgar, Durov’s former partner and the mother of his children.
Bolgar, who filed a legal complaint in Geneva, Switzerland, in March 2023, told CNN that she had been in a relationship with Durov from early 2013 to 2022, during which they had three children together.
She noted on Instagram that, although they were never officially married, the children were legally recognized and carry Durov’s last name.
According to a legal document reviewed by CNN, the complaint filed in the Geneva court alleges that Durov committed acts of violence against their youngest child on five occasions between 2021 and 2022.
In one instance, he is accused of threatening to “kill him.” CNN reached out to Durov’s legal team for comment, but they declined to respond.
Durov, 39, was arrested at Paris’s Bourget Airport on Saturday under a warrant related to concerns over Telegram’s lack of content moderation.
The platform has been criticized for being used by terrorist groups and far-right extremists.
The tech entrepreneur has now become the focus of intense media attention after being placed under formal investigation for various offenses connected to criminal activities on Telegram.
He was released from custody on Wednesday but remains under judicial supervision in France, with bail set at $5.56 million (5 million euros).
Source-CNN
