Russia charges Telegram founder Pavel Durov with aiding terrorism
4 hours ago
- Russia has charged Telegram founder Pavel Durov with aiding terrorism and placed him on an international wanted list.
- The FSB accused Telegram of failing to remove channels and bots used by Ukrainian intelligence and extremist groups for sabotage and terrorism.
- Ukraine's security services allegedly used a dating chatbot on Telegram to recruit Russians, leading to 46 arrests since July 2025.
- Durov claims the charges are fabricated pretexts to restrict Telegram and suppress free speech and privacy.
- Russia has intensified internet censorship since its 2022 invasion of Ukraine, banning multiple platforms and restricting Telegram.
- Despite past failures, Russia continues to block Telegram while promoting its own national messaging app, MAX, which lacks end-to-end encryption.
- Military bloggers and activists have criticized the crackdown, citing Telegram's importance for Russian troops and crowdfunding efforts.
- Durov was previously arrested in France in 2024 over allegations of criminal activity on Telegram, later returning to Dubai in 2025.