MOSCOW, July 29 — Russia’s Federal Security Service announced on Wednesday that Telegram founder Pavel Durov had been charged with “aiding terrorism” and placed on an international wanted list.

Durov was born in Russia and began his professional career there before leaving the country and moving abroad.

The charges come as Russian authorities intensify restrictions on Telegram, which remains one of the country’s most widely used messaging applications.

Telegram Accused of Failing to Remove Content

The Federal Security Service accused Telegram’s management of failing to remove channels, group conversations and automated accounts allegedly used by Ukrainian intelligence services and organisations it described as terrorist or extremist.

According to the agency, the accounts were used to plan and coordinate acts of sabotage, terrorism, mass killings and cybercrime inside Russia, resulting in numerous casualties.

Telegram has not been accused of directly organising the alleged activities. The Russian case instead focuses on the platform’s reported failure to remove the accounts and content identified by the authorities.

Durov Says Case Targets Privacy and Free Expression

Earlier this year, Durov announced that Russian authorities had opened a criminal investigation against him.

He accused Moscow of manufacturing legal pretexts to restrict access to Telegram as part of an effort to suppress privacy and freedom of expression.

The latest charges represent a significant escalation in the conflict between the Telegram founder and Russian authorities, which have repeatedly pressured technology companies to comply with content-removal and data-access requirements.

Russia Expands Control Over the Internet

The case forms part of a broader effort by the Russian government to strengthen its control over the country’s digital space.

Those measures have intensified since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Under President Vladimir Putin, authorities have introduced restrictive internet laws, blocked platforms that refuse to comply with government regulations and developed technologies capable of monitoring and manipulating online data traffic.

Facebook, Instagram and X have been blocked in Russia, while access to YouTube has been restricted.

Messaging applications including Signal and Viber have also been blocked, while WhatsApp and Telegram — two of the country’s most popular communication platforms — have faced increasing restrictions.