Russia probes Telegram’s role in alleged terror activity

The actions of Pavel Durov, co-founder and head of Telegram, are being examined as part of a criminal investigation into alleged assistance to terrorist activity, according to an article published by Rossiyskaya Gazeta, citing materials from Russia’s Federal Security Service.

The publication states that investigators are reviewing Durov’s actions under Part 1.1 of Article 205.1 of Russia’s Criminal Code, which concerns aiding terrorist activity.

According to the article, since 2022, more than 153,000 crimes have been registered in Russia involving the use of Telegram. Of those, about 33,000 were classified as sabotage-terrorist or extremist offences, including the organisation of explosions, arson attacks on military enlistment offices, and killings.

The report claims that the FSB has prevented 475 terrorist attacks that were allegedly coordinated through the messaging platform. Among the incidents authorities say were thwarted were 61 planned mass killings in schools prepared by teenagers.

The article further alleges that the March 2024 attack at Crocus City Hall was coordinated via Telegram. It also states that Russian citizens, bloggers, and journalists — including Darya Dugina and Maksim Fomin — as well as nine senior military officers, among them Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov, became victims of what the article described as “digital permissiveness.” According to the report, adversaries used Telegram analytics tools to collect information about their relatives, travel routes, and daily routines. Authorities also recorded roughly 700 direct threats against family members of Russian servicemen.

The article adds that Russia’s communications regulator, Roskomnadzor, has sent more than 150,000 requests to Telegram’s team through official channels in recent years demanding the removal of various forms of unlawful content, but said those appeals were ignored.

On February 10, Russian authorities decided to slow the operation of the messaging service within the country, and Roskomnadzor began implementing the measure the same day.

By Tamilla Hasanova