Pavel Durov, the founder and chief of Telegram, is set to learn Wednesday whether he will face charges and even be remanded in custody after his weekend arrest by French authorities over alleged violations at the messaging app.
Russian-born Durov, 39, was arrested at Le Bourget airport outside Paris late Saturday, and while the judicial authorities have repeatedly extended his initial period of detention, it can last a maximum of 96 hours.
This means that by Wednesday evening he should either be released or appear before a judge who will decide further measures against him.
As part of a probe that was confidentially opened on July 8, Durov is being investigated on suspicion of 12 offenses related to failing to curb extremist and criminal content on Telegram, sources close to the investigation have said.
The tech mogul founded Telegram as he was in the process of quitting his native Russia a decade ago. Its growth has been exponential, with the app now boasting over 900 million users.
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