Russia Charges Pavel Durov with Facilitating Terrorism

The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) has placed Pavel Durov on an international wanted list, alleging that the Telegram founder failed to remove channels and bots that were used to coordinate unspecified terrorist attacks and acts of sabotage in Russia, resulting in “loss of life” and “billions in property damage.”

Durov was born and began his career in Russia before later moving abroad. The owner of Telegram, a messaging platform with more than 1 billion users, is also a citizen of France and the United Arab Emirates.

Durov, who is believed to be living in Dubai, has not yet responded to the announcement on his official Telegram channel. However, in February this year, the entrepreneur warned that Russia had opened a criminal case against him on charges of “facilitating terrorism.”

“Every day, the authorities invent new excuses to restrict Russians’ access to Telegram in an effort to suppress the right to privacy and freedom of speech. It is a sad sight to see a state that is afraid of its own people,” Durov wrote in February. He left Russia in 2014.

Russia has repeatedly attempted to block Telegram or restrict access to the platform. For example, since last year, the authorities have limited certain Telegram features, including voice and video calls, claiming the measures were necessary to combat fraud and terrorism.

At the same time, the Russian government has promoted the state-backed messaging app MAX as an alternative, although its use is widely regarded as unsafe because of potential law enforcement surveillance. Telegram, however, has also been used by Russia itself to recruit saboteurs across Europe.