Russia investigates Telegram founder Pavel Durov, accusing him of allegedly assisting terrorist activities

PANews February 24 Report: According to ForkLog, multiple Russian media outlets citing the country’s Federal Security Service reported that Telegram founder Pavel Durov is under criminal investigation for allegedly assisting terrorist activities, under Article 205.1, Part 1.1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (assisting terrorist activities). The investigation involves the spread of illegal content, with charges that platform administrators ignored Russian communication regulatory agency requests to delete banned channels and chats, and that Telegram was used for criminal activities and the dissemination of materials from extremist and terrorist organizations.

The Russian communication regulatory agency began restricting the service in summer 2025, citing increased fraudulent activity, and in February 2026, intensified “traffic limiting” measures due to the platform’s non-compliance with Russian laws. Durov responded at the time, stating “Telegram defends freedom of speech and privacy.”