Telegram Founder Pavel Durov Placed on International Wanted List by Russia

Russia’s Federal Security Service has issued an international arrest warrant for Telegram founder Pavel Durov, escalating an ongoing criminal case that accuses him of facilitating terrorist activity.

FSB Charges Center on Platform Moderation

According to Russian state news agency reports on Wednesday, the FSB charged Durov with enabling terrorist activity, alleging that Telegram failed to remove channels, chats and bots allegedly used by Ukrainian intelligence services, terrorist organizations and extremist groups to coordinate attacks, recruit members and carry out cyber fraud schemes.

Case Builds on Earlier Investigation

The warrant follows reports from earlier this year that Russian authorities had already opened a criminal case against Durov. At the time, Durov publicly confirmed the investigation, stating that Russian officials were repeatedly creating new justifications to restrict Telegram access within the country as part of a broader effort to limit privacy protections and free expression.

Separate Legal Case Continues in France

Durov also remains under an active criminal investigation in France related to alleged illegal activity occurring on Telegram. However, French authorities lifted earlier travel restrictions on him, allowing him to leave the country following the initial case developments.