French Court Slams Door on Telegram's Durov: No Trip to Oslo Freedom Forum

Pavel Durov's Plea to Attend Human Rights Conference Denied

Hold onto your hats, crypto fans! French authorities just threw a wrench in Telegram founder Pavel Durov's plans. The dude was all set to jet off to Norway for the Oslo Freedom Forum, but a French court said, "Nope, not happening!" on Tuesday, May 27.

This bombshell means Durov won't be dropping his knowledge bombs on digital surveillance, free speech, and online rights at this top-tier human rights shindig. It's a total buzzkill for everyone who was pumped to hear him speak.

The Human Rights Foundation, the brains behind this annual activist bash, is seriously bummed out. They're not holding back on their disappointment over the court's move to keep Durov locked down, even though he was invited to chat with a global crew of freedom fighters.

Thor Halvorssen, the big boss at the Human Rights Foundation, didn't mince words about this judicial smackdown. "Tools like Telegram are lifelines for those battling tyranny. This isn't just a letdown for us; it's a full-on blow to freedom," he fired back.

Let's not forget, Durov's been tangled up in French legal drama since August 2024. The man got nabbed over claims that his platform was a hotspot for criminal action. But here's the twist—no direct charges against him yet.

The whole case is a mess about who's on the hook for what users do on Telegram. French officials are pointing the finger at Durov, saying he's legally responsible for the wild west that is his platform. He's out on bail, waiting to see how this legal rollercoaster plays out.

Get this—the court's latest "no travel" verdict flips the script on earlier calls. Before, French authorities were cool with Durov hopping borders for international gigs. Talk about a plot twist!

This sudden travel block has thrown a wrench into Durov's talks with human rights warriors from authoritarian regimes. They were all set to hash out ways to beef up Telegram's tools for resistance movements.

Since bailing on Russia back in 2014, Durov's been living the expat life. He made waves by refusing to hand over user data to Russia's Federal Security Service about Ukrainian protesters. That move cemented him as a major player in the fight against digital spying and government snooping in our private chats.