Telegram Founder Pavel Durov Charged by Russia with Aiding Terrorism; International Arrest Warrant Issued

The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) announced today that it has formally charged Pavel Durov, the founder of the popular messaging app Telegram, with “assisting terrorist activities.” Concurrently, an international arrest warrant has been issued for Durov. Russian authorities assert that Telegram bears legal responsibility due to its alleged long-standing failure to remove channels, chat groups, and bots purportedly used for orchestrating terrorist attacks, acts of sabotage, and cybercrimes.

Russia Alleges Telegram Facilitates Terror Coordination

According to reports from Russia’s Interfax news agency, the FSB has initiated criminal proceedings against Pavel Durov under specific articles of the Russian Federation Criminal Code pertaining to “assisting terrorist activities.” This development was subsequently corroborated by Reuters, which confirmed the issuance of an international arrest warrant for Durov by Russian authorities.

In an official statement, the FSB explicitly accused Telegram of failing to comply with legal requirements to take down certain channels, chat rooms, and bots. The service claims these platforms have been exploited by Ukrainian intelligence agencies, terrorist organizations, and extremist groups to plan and coordinate illicit activities within Russia, including sabotage, terrorist attacks, and cyber fraud.

As of the time of this report, neither Telegram nor Pavel Durov has publicly responded to media inquiries regarding these serious allegations.

Escalating Conflict: Telegram vs. Russia’s Persistent Pressure

This latest legal action represents a significant escalation in the protracted conflict between Russia and Telegram. The messaging giant has faced repeated penalties this year, with courts imposing cumulative fines exceeding 100 million rubles (approximately $1.3 million USD) for its alleged failure to remove content deemed illegal under Russian law.

Over recent years, the Russian government has consistently sought to restrict Telegram’s operations within the country. Simultaneously, it has actively promoted its own state-backed instant messaging application, MAX, in an apparent effort to diminish public reliance on Telegram.

New Charges Emerge Amidst Ongoing French Legal Scrutiny

Pavel Durov, who holds dual citizenship in the United Arab Emirates and France, has found himself under the scrutiny of regulatory bodies across various nations on multiple occasions in recent years.

In 2024, French judicial authorities briefly arrested Durov. The arrest was based on allegations that Telegram had not adequately combated criminal activities on its platform and had failed to cooperate proactively with law enforcement investigations.

Durov has consistently refuted all accusations against him. In June 2025, a French court permitted his return to Dubai for a second time, though certain travel restrictions remained in place. At the time, Durov publicly lambasted the French case as “absurd from both a legal and logical perspective,” asserting that French prosecutors had failed to present any evidence substantiating his alleged involvement in illegal activities.

Notably, these intensifying legal challenges coincide with Telegram’s vigorous expansion into the cryptocurrency sector. Durov recently announced plans to roll out a native GRAM non-custodial wallet to Telegram’s estimated one billion users.

This strategic move follows the rebranding of The Open Network (TON) ecosystem in June of this year, which saw its native token, Toncoin, officially renamed to GRAM. This rebranding signifies Telegram’s ambition to play a more central and integrated role within the TON ecosystem.