In brief
The Russian security agency has charged Pavel Durov, the founder of the popular messaging app Telegram, with facilitating terrorism after alleging the app was used by Ukrainian services to coordinate sabotage. An international arrest warrant has been issued, but Durov holds passports from France and UAE and lives outside Russia, raising questions about extradition. The move follows a broader crackdown on internet freedom in Russia, while Telegram continues to sell itself as a privacy‑centric platform. Durov, who left Russia in 2014, faces legal scrutiny in France over moderation failures, but the decision to pursue criminal charges in Moscow marks a new escalation.
Escalating Tensions: Charges and Warnings
Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) announced that it has formally charged Pavel Durov, founder of the messenger app Telegram, with facilitating terrorism. The agency claims the platform was used by Ukrainian intelligence to plan acts of sabotage and terror inside Russia, yet the company failed to remove the relevant channels, chats and bots.
An international arrest warrant has been issued for Durov, who holds French and UAE passports and has lived abroad since 2014. The warrant raises complex questions about which countries would honour it, considering the founder’s extensive travel history.
Telegram, widely popular across Russia and Ukraine, boasts 950 million users worldwide and advertises a strict privacy policy, though critics accuse it of insufficient moderation. In 2024, the company was investigated in France for allegedly failing to curb criminal use, but the matter was closed after a brief detention.
The FSB’s accusations come amid an intensified clampdown on digital dissent in Russia, with authorities tightening control over internet services. Telegram’s response on the platform X was sharp, with the founder raising an inflammatory gesture, signalling a broader clash over censorship.
