So far, the news of the week has been the arrest of Telegram boss Pavel Durov in France, and it just got a major update. Contrary to the speculations of many people in the crypto community, Pavel has been released early from his arrest, but the story is not over yet.

More: Crypto Gamblers Bet on Pavel Durov's Release

Following his arrest on Saturday at Le Bourget airport outside Paris, Pavel Durov was officially released by the French authorities just four days after questioning. Durov’s release from the criminal offences he was charged with came at the cost of him being put under Judicial supervision, barred from leaving France and having to post bail of 5 million euros ($5.5 million).

This decision came after Durov made a court appearance in Paris. He was later seen walking out of the courthouse on August 28 in a video that has gone viral. His initial arrest, according to the french prosecutors was part of a judicial investigation that started since July “against person unnamed.”

Pavel Durov was charged with complicity in illegal activities, refusal to communicate with authorities, money laundering, criminal association, and providing cryptology services without prior declaration. 

More particularly, he was charged with being complicit in helping spread child pornography and facilitating illicit activities through his popular messenger app, Telegram. Durov has not been found guilty of these charges, but the case is still ongoing. 

Since his arrest, many influential figures, such as Edward Snowden and Elon Musk, have come out to defend Pavel Durov and criticize the French Government for trying to suppress free speech, which Pavel Durov was trying to promote with his messaging platform. However, French President Macron has denied that the case was politically motivated. 

Pavel Durov may have been released from custody, but his legal troubles are far from over. He is now under investigation in Switzerland for alleged child abuse from a criminal complaint filed by his former partner, Irina Bolgar. 

According to the report released by Forbes, Bolgar filed this complaint in March 2023. She claimed Durov had been aggressive and physically violent towards one of the couple’s children. She would later file a civil child custody suit shortly after.

The new case is based on the allegation that Durov physically harmed his youngest son on five different occasions between 2021 and 2022, which caused the boy to suffer concussions, injuries and persistent sleeping disorders. 

While the case is still in development, the investigation has already gathered evidence, including message transcripts exchanged between Bolgar and Durov in November 2021, as well as a medical record dated back to April 2023, which showed that the affected child had suffered continuous sleeping disorders due to the violence inflicted by Durov. 

The good thing for Pavel Durov is that he has not been found guilty in either of the cases he has been accused of yet. However, the aftermath of these allegations will not be easy for the Telegram CEO.

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