Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) announced Wednesday that Pavel Durov, the founder of the popular messaging app Telegram, has been charged with "aiding terrorism" and added to an international wanted list.
According to the FSB statement, Telegram has not removed numerous channels, chats, and bots that Russian authorities claim are actively used by Ukrainian intelligence agencies, terrorist, and extremist organizations. These platforms are accused of preparing and coordinating acts of sabotage, terrorism, mass murder, and cyberfraud within Russia.
The charges against Durov come amid increasing restrictions on Telegram within Russia. Earlier this year, Durov stated that Russian authorities had opened a criminal investigation against him. He accused the government of fabricating pretexts to limit access to Telegram, asserting that these actions aimed to suppress the right to privacy and free speech.