Pavel Durov added to Russia’s list of “terrorists and extremists”

Pavel Durov, the founder of the popular messaging app Telegram, has been officially designated as a "terrorist and extremist" by Russian authorities. The entry on the official list specifies his full name and date of birth, noting he was born in Leningrad.

This classification carries severe consequences. Individuals and organizations on this list face restrictions on interacting with media, publishing information online, organizing public events, participating in elections, and utilizing any financial services beyond basic tax and salary payments. Crucially, inclusion on the list leads to the freezing of bank accounts, with only limited withdrawals permitted.

The move follows a previous action by Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) on July 29, which placed Durov on an international wanted list. The FSB cited alleged failures by Telegram's administration to remove channels, chats, and bots that they claim are used by Ukrainian special services, as well as terrorist and extremist organizations, to conduct sabotage and attacks.

Experts suggest that the charges currently target Durov personally rather than Telegram as a platform or its users. However, they note that if the claims were extended to the service itself, Telegram could be designated as either an undesirable or an extremist organization. Durov, who has lived outside Russia for years and holds French and UAE citizenship, has had previous run-ins with Russian authorities as Moscow seeks to increase its control over the internet.