Russia Orders Arrest of Telegram Founder Pavel Durov on Terrorism Charges

Russia has issued an arrest warrant for Pavel Durov, the founder of the popular messaging service Telegram, accusing him of aiding terrorist activities. Durov, who resides abroad and holds French and Emirati citizenship, was previously detained in France in 2024. The Federal Security Service (FSB) alleges that Telegram has not deleted numerous channels, chats, and bots used by Ukrainian intelligence agencies, extremist organizations, and terrorists to coordinate sabotage, attacks, mass killings, and cyber fraud within Russia.

The FSB stated that these actions have resulted in significant casualties, including women and children, and billions of dollars in material damage. The security service also reported detaining 46 young Russians, aged 18 to 22, over the past year. These individuals allegedly became involved in sabotage and terrorism after accessing a Telegram chatbot named Daivinchik/Leo, which was presented as a dating service.

Telegram, founded in 2013, boasts over a billion users globally and has previously been blocked in countries like Iran and fined by Western governments. Russian authorities have intensified their control over the internet and social media in recent months, citing national security threats. This crackdown has been cited as one factor contributing to a decline in President Vladimir Putin's approval ratings.

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It has caused numerous victims, including women and minors, in addition to billions of dollars in material damage.