Mr. Durov, 39, who was detained by French authorities on Saturday, was placed under formal investigation on a range of charges, including complicity in managing an online platform to enable illegal transactions; complicity in crimes such as enabling the distribution of child sexual abuse material, drug trafficking and fraud; and a refusal to cooperate with law enforcement.
Laure Beccuau, the Paris prosecutor, said in a statement that Mr. Durov had been ordered to pay bail of 5 million euros, or about $5.5 million, and was released but must check in at a police station twice a week.
[…] In France, complex criminal cases like the one against Mr. Durov are initiated by prosecutors but ultimately handled by special judges with broad investigative powers, who charge defendants when they believe that the evidence points to serious wrongdoing. The magistrates can later drop the charges if they do not believe that the evidence is sufficient to proceed to trial, and cases can take years — meaning a swift resolution of Mr. Durov’s case is unlikely.
If Mr. Durov was eventually convicted, he could face up to 10 years in prison, Ms. Beccuau said.