Russia Issues Arrest Warrant for Telegram Founder Pavel Durov on 'Aiding Terrorism' Charges

The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) on the 29th officially announced that the Moscow authorities will issue an international arrest warrant for Pavel Durov, the founder of the cross-platform communication software Telegram, charging him with 'aiding terrorism' and placing him on the Russian government's wanted list. According to current Russian law, if the charges are proven, Durov is likely to be sentenced to life imprisonment in Russia.

The _Associated Press_ quoted the FSB statement as saying that the Moscow authorities accused the Telegram management of not actively and effectively managing the large number of bot robots existing in the chat rooms on the platform. They believe that these encrypted channels have been widely used by Ukrainian intelligence agencies and surrounding organizations to plan and coordinate destructive activities, terrorist attacks, and cyber fraud within Russia, leading to 'serious human and economic casualties.'

The Russian Federal Security Service also pointed out that according to the investigation, the Ukrainian Security Service has long been using various popular dating bots on Telegram to secretly recruit Russian citizens. It was revealed that since July 2025, the relevant agencies have identified at least 46 users aged between 12 and 22 who have been arrested for attacking law enforcement officers and arson, all of whom are related to Telegram.

Telegram is a cross-platform instant messaging software, and the user end is free and open-source software. (Associated Press)

The 41-year-old Durov is from St. Petersburg, Russia, and his parents are university professors. He grew up and received his education in Italy with his parents and returned to Russia for university, attending St. Petersburg State University. In addition to the well-known Telegram, the popular social platform VK in Russia was also co-founded by him and his brother Nikolai. Durov left Russia in 2021, obtaining dual citizenship in France and the UAE, and because of the establishment of Telegram, he has not been able to return to his hometown for a long time.

Since the Kremlin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the Russian government has gradually tightened internet and social freedom within the country, aiming to bring the internet completely under state control. VK and Telegram, founded by Durov, have become the two major targets of the Moscow authorities.

Durov, who advocates freedom of will, has previously stated that Russia has launched a criminal investigation against him, accusing Moscow of constantly fabricating excuses to try to restrict or control Telegram, thereby depriving individuals of their privacy and freedom of speech. Unlike Durov's previous work VK, Telegram, which emphasizes encryption mechanisms, has its company headquarters in Dubai, allowing the platform to remain independently operational to this day.

Under the strong leadership of President Vladimir Putin, the Russian government has strictly restricted the free space of the internet through legislation and technical means. Popular social platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and X are banned, YouTube is throttled, and communication software such as Signal and Viber are blocked, while the most popular WhatsApp and Telegram also face strict restrictions.

In May 2026, Russian President Vladimir Putin. (Associated Press)

At the same time, the Russian authorities are vigorously promoting a domestically produced communication software called 'MAX.' This platform claims to provide extremely convenient cross-platform services by integrating communication, government services, and payments. However, when registering to use it, users are required to agree to provide their data to the authorities. Moreover, it has been discovered by technology experts that the entire system does not adopt end-to-end encryption, thus being regarded as a government surveillance tool.

In fact, Durov has been involved in legal lawsuits in multiple countries in recent years due to Telegram. The latest time he appeared in the media was in 2024 in Paris, France, where he was arrested by the police for the platform being involved in illegal activities. However, after undergoing several months of judicial procedures, he was sent back to Dubai.