Russia charges Telegram founder Durov with aiding terrorism, adds him to wanted list
Russian authorities have charged Pavel Durov, the founder and CEO of the popular messaging app Telegram, with aiding terrorism. The charges were announced on Wednesday by the Federal Security Service (FSB), marking the latest step in the Kremlin's efforts to control digital communications.
The FSB accused Telegram of failing to remove numerous channels, chats, and bots allegedly used by Ukrainian intelligence agencies and extremist organizations to coordinate acts of sabotage, terrorism, and cyber fraud in Russia. According to the FSB, these activities have resulted in numerous human casualties and significant material damage.
Durov, who was born in Russia but now holds dual citizenship in France and the United Arab Emirates, has lived abroad for years. The FSB stated that it has added Durov to international wanted lists. If convicted, Durov could face up to life in prison in Russia.
Telegram, which boasts over 1 billion users worldwide, did not respond to requests for comment. However, the company's official account on X posted an image of Durov raising his middle finger to the camera.
Earlier this year, Durov announced that Russian authorities had opened a criminal investigation against him. He accused them of fabricating pretexts to restrict access to Telegram as part of an attempt to suppress the right to privacy and free speech.
The charges against Durov come as Russia has been tightening its control over the internet and digital communications. Since Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Russian authorities have engaged in multipronged efforts to rein in the internet, adopting restrictive laws and banning websites and platforms that don't comply.
Durov co-founded Telegram in 2013 and has previously faced pressure from Russian authorities. In 2014, he sold his remaining stake in VKontakte, Russia's equivalent of Facebook, amid pressure from Russian authorities. He claimed he was coerced to give Russian authorities access to data from accounts of Ukrainian pro-democracy activists and refused to do so.
In addition to the Russian investigation, Durov faces a legal probe in France over allegations that Telegram failed to adequately counter criminal activity on the platform and did not sufficiently cooperate with law enforcement requests. Durov denies any wrongdoing.
The FSB also accused Ukrainian security services of using a popular dating chatbot on Telegram to lure and recruit Russians for sabotage and terrorist activities. The agency claimed that 46 users of the chatbot, aged between 12 and 22, have been detained in Russia over the past year for assaulting law enforcement officers, arson, and other acts.
Russia has been promoting its own state-backed MAX messenger service, which openly declares it will share user data with authorities upon request and does not use end-to-end encryption.
The Kremlin has frequently targeted its political enemies on charges of supporting terrorism or extremism. Durov, who holds French and UAE passports, has called the case against him politically motivated.
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