Russia Adds Telegram Founder Pavel Durov to Terror List After 15-Year Terrorism Charge
Updated
Updated · The Moscow Times · Jul 29
Russia Adds Telegram Founder Pavel Durov to Terror List After 15-Year Terrorism Charge
3 articles · Updated · The Moscow Times · Jul 29
Summary
Rosfinmonitoring on Thursday put Pavel Durov on Russia’s “terrorists and extremists” list, a step that requires banks to freeze his assets and cut off financial services.
The move followed the FSB’s arrest warrant a day earlier on accusations that Telegram failed to remove content allegedly used by Ukrainian intelligence and extremist groups to organize sabotage, cyber fraud and armed attacks.
Durov, who lives in Dubai and holds French and UAE citizenship, has said Russian authorities were fabricating grounds for a total Telegram ban; the aiding-terrorism charge carries up to 15 years in prison.
Telegram’s pressure in Russia has already intensified in recent months: regulators have imposed restrictions, slowed downloads and blocked video and voice calls on a platform used by about 90 million people in the country.
The case also adds to Durov’s legal troubles abroad, with French authorities still investigating his alleged failure to cooperate in removing illegal Telegram content after his 2024 arrest and later release.