Russia charges Telegram founder Pavel Durov with aiding terrorism and puts him on wanted list
The FSB said Telegram ignored channels used to plan sabotage, terrorism and cyberfraud, and placed Durov on an international wanted list.
- On Wednesday, the Federal Security Service charged Telegram founder Pavel Durov with "aiding terrorism," issuing an international arrest warrant for the messaging app's co-founder.
- The FSB alleges that Telegram failed to remove "numerous channels, chats and bots" actively used by Ukrainian intelligence agencies and extremist organizations to coordinate sabotage and terrorism within the Russian Federation.
- With more than 1 billion users, Telegram is widely used during the Russia-Ukraine war and has faced repeated Russian efforts to restrict its service through the state-backed MAX messenger platform.
- French authorities are concurrently investigating Durov over allegations that Telegram failed to adequately counter criminal activity and did not sufficiently cooperate with law enforcement requests.
- With no immediate comment from Durov or Telegram, the founder—who holds Emirati and French passports—previously appeared at a Paris courthouse on July 8, 2026, amid mounting international pressure.
117 Articles
117 Articles
Russia issues international wanted notice against Telegram founder Pavel Durov for aiding terrorism
Moscow on Wednesday said it had issued an international wanted notice for Russian-born Telegram CEO Pavel Durov for "complicity in terrorism". Russian security services accused Durov of failing to remove "channels, chats and bots" on the popular messaging platform allegedly used by Ukraine to recruit people for deadly sabotage operations across Russia.
According to the Russian Federal Security Service, Telegram did not remove content intended to promote terrorist acts.
Russia issues international arrest warrant for Telegram founder Durov
Durov, who holds French and UAE passports and has lived outside Russia for years, called the case politically motivated. The Kremlin frequently targets its political enemies on charges of supporting "terrorism" or "extremism".
The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) declared on Wednesday in international search and capture the founder of the Telegram courier service, the Russian businessman Pável Dúrov, after invoking a case against him for cooperation with terrorism, says Efe. "Dúrov has been accused of collaborating with terrorist activities. He has been declared in international search," the entity said in a note published on its official portal. According to th…
Russian security agencies have issued an arrest warrant for Pavel Durov, founder and CEO of the Telegram application, accusing him of allowing the platform to be used to coordinate terrorist attacks and sabotage in Russia.
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 36% of the sources lean Left
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
