Russia’s main domestic security agency has charged Pavel Durov, the founder of Telegram, with aiding terrorism and placed him on an international wanted list. Durov, originally from Russia, relocated abroad several years ago. These charges align with the Russian government’s efforts to control the internet, which have increased since the invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

The Federal Security Service (FSB) accused Telegram of not removing channels, chats, and bots allegedly used by Ukrainian intelligence and extremist groups for activities like sabotage and cyberfraud. The agency claimed these actions resulted in numerous casualties.

Durov has previously criticized Russian authorities for fabricating reasons to limit access to Telegram, arguing that the real aim is to suppress privacy and free speech. Conviction could lead to a life sentence in Russia for Durov, who now resides in Dubai, where Telegram is based.

Russia’s internet control measures include restrictive laws and banning non-compliant platforms. Social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram are banned, WhatsApp and Telegram are restricted, and YouTube is throttled. The state promotes a national messaging app, MAX, allegedly designed for surveillance, which does not use end-to-end encryption and shares user data with authorities.

Durov has faced scrutiny from other nations. In 2024, he was arrested in Paris for allegedly harboring illicit activities on Telegram. He later returned to Dubai, following months in France, while Russian authorities criticized the French actions as selective.

President Putin commented that many countries raise concerns over platforms misused for security threats, noting that if Durov is targeted, others should be too, suggesting a broad scrutiny of similar platforms.