Telegram Founder Pavel Durov Charged By Russia For 'Aiding Terrorism', Faces Life Sentence

Russia has charged Telegram founder Pavel Durov with aiding terrorism and placed him on an international wanted list, according to the country's Federal Security Service (FSB), marking a major escalation in Moscow's long-running dispute with the messaging platform.

The charges come as Russian authorities continue tightening restrictions on Telegram, one of the country's most widely used messaging applications, amid a broader campaign to increase state control over the internet following the start of the Russia-Ukraine conflict in February 2022.

According to The Associated Press (AP), the Russian FSB, in a statement, alleged that Telegram's administration failed to remove "numerous channels, chats and bots" that are "actively used by Ukrainian intelligence agencies, terrorist, and extremist organisations to prepare and coordinate acts of sabotage and terrorism, mass murder, and cyberfraud" in Russia, which resulted in "numerous human casualties."

The Russian security agency also alleged that Ukrainian intelligence services used a popular Telegram dating chatbot to recruit Russian citizens for acts of sabotage and terrorism.

The FSB said 46 users of the chatbot, aged between 12 and 22, had been detained across Russia since July 2025 on allegations including attacks on law enforcement personnel and arson.

Durov Faces Life Sentence

Earlier this year, Durov said Russian authorities had opened a criminal investigation against him and claimed the case was politically motivated.

He accused Moscow of fabricating grounds to curb access to Telegram as part of an attempt to "suppress the right to privacy and free speech," as per AP.

If convicted, Durov could reportedly face a sentence of up to life imprisonment under Russian law.

Telegram is yet to issue a statement on the matter. According to the company's official website, Telegram is headquartered in Dubai, where Durov — who holds dual citizenship of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and France — currently resides.

Durov has also faced legal scrutiny outside Russia. In 2024, he was arrested in France over allegations that Telegram had been used for criminal activities, including drug trafficking and the distribution of child sexual abuse images. Durov reportedly returned to Dubai in March 2025.

Russia Expands Internet Controls

Russia has steadily expanded internet controls under President Vladimir Putin by introducing restrictive legislation, banning or limiting access to foreign online platforms and enhancing surveillance capabilities.

Platforms including Facebook, Instagram and X (formerly Twitter) have been banned in Russia, while YouTube has been throttled. Messaging services such as Signal and Viber have been blocked, and restrictions have also been imposed on WhatsApp and Telegram, as per AP.

Russia has simultaneously promoted its state-backed messaging platform MAX, which critics argue could facilitate government surveillance because it openly states that user data may be shared with authorities upon request and does not use end-to-end encryption.