Russia has charged Telegram founder Pavel Durov with aiding terrorism and placed him on an international wanted list. The move marks a major escalation in the Kremlin’s pressure on the messaging app, which remains widely used inside the country despite attempts to restrict it.
Moscow: Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) said in a statement that Durov has been charged with facilitating terrorist activities. The agency accused Telegram of failing to remove “numerous channels, chats and bots” that it claims are being used by Ukrainian intelligence agencies, terrorist and extremist groups to plan and coordinate attacks inside Russia.
The FSB said these channels have been used to prepare acts of sabotage, terrorism, mass killings and cyber-fraud operations within the Russian Federation. It also issued an international arrest warrant for Durov, though he lives outside Russia and has not returned to the country for years.
Durov, a Russian-born billionaire, founded Telegram in 2013 and has built it into one of the world’s most popular messaging platforms. He has long resisted government demands for access to encrypted content, positioning Telegram as a tool for privacy and free speech.
The charges come as Russian authorities push users toward state-controlled messaging services, which critics say are designed for surveillance and censorship. Telegram has rejected accusations that it enables criminal or terrorist activity and has called the restrictions an attempt to force Russians to switch to government-backed apps.
There was no immediate comment from Durov or Telegram on the latest charges. The case is expected to intensify the global debate over encryption, privacy and state control of digital platforms.
