Durov
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Russia has launched a criminal investigation against Pavel Durov, the founder of Telegram, on charges of “facilitating terrorist activities”. The probe, announced by state-run media, alleges that Durov’s refusal to cooperate with Russian authorities has allowed terrorist groups to use the platform for attacks. Durov, who holds Russian and French citizenship, claims the investigation is an attempt to suppress freedom of speech and privacy.
The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) reportedly claims Telegram has been used for terrorist activities, including attacks on Russian military officials and coordination of extremist groups. Durov has denied these allegations, stating that Russia is trying to restrict access to Telegram and force users to switch to a state-backed app called MAX .
This isn’t the first time Durov has faced scrutiny; he was arrested in France in 2024 over allegations of allowing illicit activities on Telegram. The Russian government has been trying to block Telegram, citing failure to delete extremist content. Moscow is trying to get Russians to switch to the state-backed app MAX.
The investigation falls under Part 1.1 of Article 205.1 of the Russian Criminal Code, carrying potential sentences from eight years to life imprisonment. Russian authorities accuse Durov of refusing to provide encryption keys or remove illegal content despite over 150,000 requests from media regulator Roskomnadzor.
Durov has accused Russia of attacking Telegram to promote state-owned messenger MAX. He stated that other countries, including Iran, have attempted similar strategies and failed. Durov claims Russia is trying to suppress the right to privacy and free speech.
The Kremlin has stated that authorities had identified content on Telegram that could represent a potential security risk. They claim numerous breaches had been documented and accused the company’s leadership of refusing to cooperate with Russian regulators.
Telegram has denied allegations of being a haven for criminal activity and compromised by Western and Ukrainian intelligence. The platform says it has more than 1 billion active users globally.
