Telegram founder Pavel Durov, who was charged on multiple counts of facilitating criminal activity by a French court on Wednesday, is also under investigation in Switzerland for alleged violence against one of his children, Forbes reported on Wednesday.
A criminal complaint, filed by Durov’s former partner Irina Bolgar in Geneva in March 2023, alleges that Durov physically harmed their youngest son. According to Bolgar, Durov was violent towards their son on five occasions between 2021 and 2022, resulting in injuries including a concussion, and since when the boy, who turns 7 next month, has experienced persistent sleep disorders.
Bolgar, who says she is the mother to three children with Durov, also filed a civil lawsuit for custody of their children. Both lawsuits were filed several months after Bolgar said the billionaire stopped paying her €150,000 a month in child support, Forbes reported, citing court documents.
While Durov has yet to acknowledge his three children with Bolgar publicly, he announced to the world in July that he has over 100 biological children from donating his sperm.
A court in Geneva initially dismissed the criminal lawsuit against Durov as it was filed more than three months after the last incident of alleged physical violence. However, Bolgar appealed the decision in May 2023, and in October the court agreed to let the case proceed, according to Forbes.
The investigation includes evidence such as the transcripts of messages exchanged between Bolgar and Durov in November 2021 and medical records from April 2023 confirming their child was suffering from anxiety and difficulties sleeping as a result of the alleged violence.
According to Forbes, a representative for Durov declined to comment, while a lawyer for Bolgar confirmed that Bolgar and her three children are involved in the civil case, but declined to discuss the criminal case.
The French authorities on Wednesday indicted the 39-year-old Telegram CEO on six charges related to illicit activity on the app, according to a press release shared with Novaya Gazeta Europe.
Durov was released from custody on a €5 million bail and placed under judicial supervision. The tech billionaire is also required to report to the police commissariat twice a week and is prohibited from leaving France.