Russia places Telegram founder Pavel Durov on international wanted list

Russian security services have placed Telegram founder and Chief Executive Officer Pavel Durov on an international wanted list over charges of facilitating terrorism, escalating legal pressure on the billionaire tech entrepreneur who already faces criminal indictment in France.

The Federal Security Service (FSB) Public Relations Centre confirmed the move, stating that formal charges have been brought against Durov under Part 1.1 of Article 205.1 of the Russian Criminal Code for aiding terrorist activity — an offence carrying a prison sentence ranging from 7 to 15 years.

"He is being placed on an international wanted list," the FSB said in a statement released through Russian media.

According to the FSB, the decision follows Telegram's persistent failure to remove channels, group chats, and automated bots allegedly deployed by Ukrainian intelligence agencies, alongside designated terrorist and extremist groups, to orchestrate sabotage, terrorist strikes, and mass casualty attacks within Russian territory. Security officials also claimed that widespread cyber-fraud conducted via the messaging platform has resulted in billions of rubles in financial losses.

Specifically, Russian counterintelligence asserted that Ukrainian special services utilised a popular Telegram dating chatbot, "Daivinchik," as a recruitment pipeline to draw young people into subversive and terrorist operations.

The Russian charges add a new layer of international legal exposure for Durov, who remains under strict judicial supervision in France following his arrest in Paris in 2024.

Earlier this month, French media reported that Durov underwent a fourth round of police questioning lasting more than six hours. French authorities have charged the tech executive with failing to adequately moderate content and declining to cooperate with law enforcement requests, alleging that his platform's policies effectively rendered him complicit in offences including illicit narcotics trafficking, financial fraud, and the distribution of child sexual abuse material.

By Tamilla Hasanova