Russia Charges Telegram Founder Pavel Durov With Aiding Terrorism, Issues Arrest Warrant

原始链接: https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/russia-charges-telegram-founder-durov-facilitating-terrorism

Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) has issued an international arrest warrant for Telegram founder Pavel Durov, charging him with facilitating terrorist activities. The FSB alleges that Telegram failed to remove channels and bots utilized by Ukrainian intelligence to coordinate sabotage, cyber-fraud, and violent attacks within Russia. Specifically, authorities claim that Ukrainian agents used a popular Telegram dating bot, "Dayvinchik," to psychologically manipulate and recruit young Russian citizens—detaining 46 individuals aged 12 to 22—to perform acts of arson and armed attacks. This move follows ongoing tensions between Moscow and the platform, with Russian regulators previously imposing restrictions on Telegram’s features to force compliance with local laws. Durov, who remains committed to user privacy and freedom of speech, denies any wrongdoing. Beyond Russian charges, Durov is also facing investigations in France regarding Telegram’s moderation policies and cooperation with law enforcement. Telegram, which boasts over 1 billion users globally, continues to be a vital communication tool in both Russia and the ongoing war in Ukraine.

原文

Authored by Guy Birchall via The Epoch Times,

Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) said on July 29 that it had charged Telegram founder Pavel Durov with facilitating terrorist activities and issued an international warrant for his arrest.

The FSB Public Relations Center said in a statement that "Telegram's head of administration, P. Durov, has been charged as part of an ongoing criminal investigation on suspicion of an offense under Part 1.1 of Article 205.1 of the Russian Criminal Code, concerning assistance in terrorist activities. He is being placed on an international wanted list."

The FSB added that the charges related to Telegram's failure "in violation of Russian law," to remove "numerous channels, chats, and bots of this messenger, which are actively used by Ukrainian special services, terrorist, and extremist organizations to prepare and coordinate acts of sabotage and terrorism, mass murder, and cyber-fraud in the Russian Federation, the consequences of which have resulted in numerous human casualties, including women and children, as well as material losses amounting to billions."

Specifically, the FSB said that it had "identified and documented numerous instances of Ukrainian intelligence agencies using the popular youth chatbot 'Dayvinchik/Leo - Dating, Chat, and New Friends' on the Telegram messenger to lure Russian citizens into sabotage and terrorist activities through deception and psychological manipulation."

The intelligence service said that as a result of joint operations with the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Investigative Committee of Russia, it had identified and detained "46 Russian citizens aged 12 to 22 years" who had been using the chatbot and, subsequently, "committed armed attacks on law enforcement officers, arson attacks on transportation, energy, communications, and credit and financial system facilities," on the orders of the Ukrainian special services.

The detainees had also "acted as couriers delivering funds from defrauded citizens to crypto exchange points for crediting to enemy-controlled accounts," the FSB added, saying Ukrainian intelligence officers used the Telegram "Dayvinchik" dating bot, posing as women, to contact young Russian men, persuading them to share geolocations of meeting places (often shopping centers or key facilities) and pay for tickets or gifts via phishing links.

Later, individuals posing as Russian law-enforcement or Rosfinmonitoring (Russian Federal Financial Monitoring Service) officers contacted the victims through other apps, claiming the money had funded Ukrainian forces and the coordinates had been used for missile or drone strikes, according to the FSB, then used threats of prosecution and psychological pressure to coerce them into committing armed attacks or arson under the guise of anti-terrorism checks or fake operational tasks.

The Epoch Times contacted Durov and Telegram for comment but did not receive a response by the time of publication.

Telegram's official X account posted an image of Durov making an obscene gesture shortly after the arrest warrant was announced on July 29.

The move by the FSB comes after Russia's media regulator Roskomnadzor began limiting voice and video calls for Telegram users in Russia in August 2025 and, in February, announced it "will continue to impose successive restrictions in order to ensure compliance with Russian legislation and ensure the protection of citizens," on Telegram and other messaging apps not observing Russian law.

At the time, Durov said his app remains committed to freedom of speech and user privacy "no matter the pressure."

Telegram, an encrypted messenger app, says it has more than 1 billion users, and is widely used on both sides of the Russia-Ukraine war, including by the Kremlin.

Third-party compiled data estimates there are around 35 million Telegram users in Russia - one of the largest national user bases globally.

While trying to restrict Telegram's use in recent years, Russia has promoted its own state-backed MAX messenger service. Critics have said MAX is a surveillance tool, a claim Russian authorities deny. The app integrates various government services, and the Kremlin says it is designed to simplify and improve citizens' lives.

Critics have said MAX is a surveillance tool, a claim Russian authorities deny. The app integrates various government services, and the Kremlin says it is designed to simplify and improve citizens’ lives.

Durov, who was born in St. Petersburg, Russia, but now holds Emirati and French passports, founded Russia's Facebook equivalent, VKontakte, before selling his remaining stake in 2014 amid pressure from Russian authorities. He founded Telegram in 2013.

French authorities are also investigating Durov over allegations that Telegram failed to adequately prevent criminal activity on the platform and did not sufficiently cooperate with law enforcement requests. Durov denies any wrongdoing.