Pavel Durov, the CEO of Telegram, has been charged with allegedly allowing criminal activities on the messaging app.

French judges have banned Mr Durov from leaving France pending further investigations, but he was able to avoid pre-trial detention thanks to a five million euro bail.

The billionaire was arrested in France on Saturday after his private jet landed at Le Bourget airport outside Paris.

The Russian-born entrepreneur, who obtained French citizenship in 2021, is accused of operating a platform used for child sexual abuse material and by organized crime gangs for drug trafficking and fraud.

Telegram stressed that it complies with EU laws and that its moderation “meets industry standards and is constantly improving.”

The statement continues: “It is absurd to claim that a platform or its owner is responsible for the misuse of that platform.”

Durov’s arrest in France and his four-day interrogation have sparked outrage in Russia.

In support of the billionaire, paper airplanes depicting Telegram’s logo were set up in Moscow.

Some government officials claim his detention was politically motivated and evidence of Western double standards regarding freedom of expression.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters in a conference call that Russia was ready to provide Durov with any necessary support given his Russian citizenship, but his French citizenship complicated the situation.