Russia announced criminal charges against Telegram founder Pavel Durov and placed him on an international wanted list. The allegation is that Pavel Durov aided terrorism, and the action is linked to Russia’s broader attempts to restrict Telegram within Russia.

What happened

Russia announced that it has charged Pavel Durov—Telegram’s founder, owner, and chief executive officer—with aiding terrorism. Russia also placed Pavel Durov on an international wanted list. The charges were issued by Russia’s main domestic security agency, according to the news report. The same news report links the wanted-list action to Russia’s broader efforts to restrict Telegram inside Russia.

Background and earlier position

Telegram is a messaging platform that governments frequently scrutinise when they claim that messaging services can be misused for violence, terrorism financing, or coordination of unlawful activities. Russia has also been associated with attempts to restrict Telegram’s operations within Russia, which can include compliance pressure and enforcement actions.

What changed now

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