Pavel Durov, the Russian-born founder of Telegram, revealed on Tuesday, February 24, that Russian authorities are investigating him for allegedly “aiding terrorism.” This marks another escalation in Moscow’s ongoing efforts to block the popular messaging app.
Russia has restricted access to Telegram and WhatsApp, the country’s two most-used messaging platforms. Authorities are pushing users toward Max, a state-controlled alternative that critics argue lacks privacy protections.
“Russia has launched a criminal case against me for ‘aiding terrorism,’” Pavel Durov wrote on Telegram. He holds both Russian and French citizenship but lives outside Russia. “Every day, the authorities invent new excuses to limit Russians’ access to Telegram, aiming to suppress privacy and free speech,” he added.
For years, Russia has tried—and failed—to block Telegram. Officials have repeatedly demanded that Durov provide the FSB security service with backdoor access to bypass encryption and retrieve user data.
Earlier on Tuesday, state media outlets published detailed articles based on FSB reports. These articles accused Pavel Durov of refusing to cooperate with authorities, claiming that Telegram was allegedly used to organize “terrorist” attacks, leading to deaths.
Russian law enforcement has not officially confirmed whether an investigation into Durov is underway.
The Kremlin frequently uses accusations of “terrorism” or “extremism” to silence dissent and target critics. This tactic has intensified during Russia’s military offensive in Ukraine, which reached its four-year anniversary on Tuesday.
Beyond messaging, Telegram serves as Russia’s primary social media platform. Despite its attempts to block the app, the Kremlin itself actively uses Telegram, posting updates several times a day. Last week, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed that the government would continue using its official Telegram account.
