Russia charges Telegram founder Durov with facilitating terrorism

What the report says

BBC World News reports that Russia has charged Telegram founder Pavel Durov with facilitating terrorism, alleging that the messaging platform was used by Ukrainian secret services to recruit people and support operations inside Russia. The FSB, Russia’s domestic security agency, said Telegram had not removed channels, chats and automated accounts that it claims were connected to sabotage and terrorism. According to the BBC, Russia has issued an international arrest warrant for Durov.

Durov, 41, was born in Russia but has lived abroad for years and holds French and United Arab Emirates passports, the BBC reported. The article notes that it is not yet clear whether authorities outside Russia would act on the Russian warrant. After the charge was announced, Telegram’s X account posted an image of Durov making an obscene gesture. Durov has previously accused Russian officials of inventing reasons to limit access to Telegram for Russian users.

Telegram is widely used in both Russia and Ukraine, and the BBC says tens of millions of Russians use the app despite increasing state restrictions on internet access. The company says the platform has about 950 million users globally and has long presented itself as focused on privacy. It has also faced scrutiny over moderation, while rejecting claims that its practices are inadequate.

The case adds to continuing pressure on Durov and Telegram from governments over content control, security and criminal misuse. BBC background notes that Durov left Russia in 2014 after resisting official demands linked to opposition communities, and that he previously founded VKontakte. He was also placed under formal investigation in France in 2024 over separate allegations tied to moderation failures, with that inquiry still ongoing.