Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) says it has charged Telegram founder Pavel Durov with facilitating terrorist activities and has issued an international warrant for his arrest.
In a statement on Wednesday, 29 July, the FSB accused Telegram of failing to remove content that it claims was being used by "Ukrainian special services and by terrorist and extremist organisations".
The agency alleged the material had been used "to prepare and coordinate acts of sabotage and terrorism, mass killings, and cyber-fraud operations within the Russian Federation."
Neither Durov nor Telegram immediately commented on the accusations, but a photo circulating on Telegram's X account depicts of Durov making an obscene gesture.
Founded in 2013, Telegram has grown into one of the world's largest messaging platforms, with more than one billion users, according to the company.
The app has played a significant role since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. It is widely used by civilians, journalists, military personnel and officials on both sides of the conflict to share news, organise communities and communicate in real time.
Russian authorities have repeatedly criticised Telegram over its moderation policies and have sought to curb its influence. In recent years, Moscow has also promoted its own state-backed messaging service, MAX, as an alternative.
Durov, who was born in Russia and now holds French and Emirati passports, is one of the country's best-known technology entrepreneurs.
Before launching Telegram, he founded VKontakte (VK), Russia's largest social networking site. He left the company and the country in 2014 after selling his remaining stake, saying he had come under pressure from Russian authorities over control of the platform.
Since then, Durov has positioned Telegram as a privacy-focused messaging service, arguing that users should be able to communicate without government interference.
The case announced by the FSB adds to Durov's legal challenges abroad.
French authorities are investigating him over allegations that Telegram failed to do enough to combat criminal activity on the platform and did not sufficiently cooperate with law enforcement requests. Durov has denied any wrongdoing.
The latest move by Russia comes as governments around the world continue to debate how encrypted messaging platforms should balance user privacy with efforts to tackle crime, terrorism and online extremism.
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