On Wednesday, Russian authorities announced that they had issued an international wanted notice for Telegram founder and chief executive Pavel Durov, accusing him of complicity in terrorism.
Born in Russia, Durov — a serial entrepreneur who has resided abroad for years and holds French and Emirati passports — has repeatedly clashed with Russian authorities as Moscow tightens its control over the internet.
The Federal Security Service (FSB) stated that an international wanted notice has been issued for the head of Telegram’s administration, Pavel Durov.
Telegram is one of the primary messaging platforms in the country, and officials have repeatedly attempted to block its service in order to pressure Durov to provide user data or to encourage Russians to adopt an unencrypted, state‑run alternative.
The Federal Security Service (FSB) alleged that Telegram’s administration failed to remove numerous channels, chats, and bots that are actively used by Ukrainian intelligence services, terrorist and extremist groups to plan sabotage, terrorism, mass murder, and cyber‑fraud, resulting in many casualties within Russia.
The agency said Ukrainian security services employed a popular dating chatbot on Telegram to recruit Russians for sabotage and terrorist activities, noting that 46 users aged 12 to 22 have been detained across Russia since July 2025 on charges including assaulting police and arson.
Moscow routinely brings political opponents to trial on charges of supporting terrorism or extremism.
A conviction could sentence the entrepreneur to life imprisonment in Russia.
Shortly after the announcement, Telegram’s official X account posted an image showing Durov making a rude gesture with his middle finger.
No immediate comment was issued by Durov or Telegram.
Durov, 41, resides in France, where he has also faced legal challenges concerning the alleged spread of illicit content on Telegram.
Born in Saint Petersburg, Durov created VKontakte, a social media platform often referred to as Russia’s Facebook.
He was effectively ousted from the company after it came under pressure from authorities in the mid‑2010s and subsequently launched Telegram.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP, AP and Reuters)
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