France Blocks Telegram Founder Durovs U.S. Visit Amid Ongoing Legal Issues

French officials have denied a request from Pavel Durov, the founder of Telegram and a Russian-born entrepreneur, to travel to the United States, according to a report by Politico citing the Paris prosecutor’s office.

The prosecutor’s office stated, “This overseas trip did not seem necessary or warranted.”

Durov, who faced a travel ban in France last year due to charges associated with purported illegal activities on Telegram, was reportedly aiming to visit the U.S. for “discussions with investment funds.”

The Paris prosecutor’s office informed Politico that the entrepreneur’s request was turned down on May 12. Earlier this year, authorities permitted Durov to travel to Dubai.

Durov, who possesses citizenship in both France and the United Arab Emirates, was detained in Paris last year after being accused of not controlling extremist and terrorist material on Telegram.

The entrepreneur was released on bail but remains restricted from leaving the country. In addition to the travel restrictions, he was required to post a bail of 5 million euros and report to police twice a week.

Following his arrest, Durov has been openly critical of the French government. Recently, he alleged that Paris authorities aimed to suppress conservative political opinions in Romania prior to its presidential election, allegations that France’s Foreign Ministry has denied.

As of March, Telegram reported over 1 billion active users each month.