Moscow: Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) has charged Telegram founder Pavel Durov with facilitating terrorist activities and issued an international arrest warrant against him, escalating Moscow’s long-running confrontation with the messaging platform.
The FSB alleged that Telegram failed to remove content it says was used by Ukrainian intelligence agencies, as well as terrorist and extremist organisations, to coordinate sabotage, terrorist attacks, mass killings and cyber fraud operations within Russia.
FSB cites failure to remove content
According to the Russian security agency, the charges stem from Telegram’s alleged failure to delete channels, chats and bots that authorities claim were used to organise attacks and other criminal activities inside the country.
The FSB said these activities included the preparation and coordination of acts of sabotage, terrorism and cyber-enabled fraud. Based on these allegations, it has placed Durov on an international wanted list.
Telegram responds with image on X
Shortly after the announcement, Telegram’s official account on X posted an image of Durov making an obscene gesture with his middle finger. The company did not issue any further statement, and Durov himself did not immediately comment on the charges.
Long-running tensions with Moscow
Founded in 2013, Telegram says it has more than 1 billion users worldwide and has become one of the most widely used messaging platforms during the Russia-Ukraine war.
Russia has repeatedly attempted to restrict Telegram’s operations while promoting its own state-backed messaging platform, MAX. Despite these efforts, Russian government institutions, including the Kremlin and the Defence Ministry, continue to use Telegram extensively for official communications.
Durov faces scrutiny in multiple countries
Durov, who was born in Russia and now holds Emirati and French citizenship, founded the Russian social networking site VKontakte before leaving the country and selling his remaining stake in 2014 following pressure from Russian authorities.
He is also under investigation in France over allegations that Telegram failed to adequately curb criminal activity on its platform and did not sufficiently cooperate with law enforcement requests. Durov has denied any wrongdoing.
Investigation had been underway
The latest charges follow reports earlier this year that Russian authorities had opened a criminal investigation into Durov over alleged facilitation of terrorist activities.
In April, Durov revealed that a summons addressed to “Suspect P.V. Durov” had been delivered to an apartment in Russia where he had lived two decades earlier. He responded by saying authorities appeared to suspect him of defending constitutional guarantees of freedom of speech and the right to private correspondence.
Durov’s current location has not been officially confirmed. His recent social media posts suggested he had been in Dubai and later visited Georgia.