The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) has announced that Pavel Durov, the founder and CEO of the messaging platform Telegram, is under investigation on charges of "aiding terrorist activities." Consequently, an international arrest warrant has been issued for him.
Operative Information Center-OMM reports that this development was confirmed by international media outlets.
According to the FSB, Telegram's management failed to remove specific channels and bots that were allegedly utilized to coordinate terrorist and sabotage acts within Russia. The security agency claims that Ukrainian intelligence services, alongside various terrorist and extremist organizations, have leveraged the platform's numerous channels, group chats, and automated bots to plan and execute acts of terror, sabotage, mass killings, and cyber-fraud.
Due to these allegations, a criminal case has been initiated against Pavel Durov under charges of facilitating terrorist activities, leading to the international search warrant.
It is worth noting that Russia previously restricted access to Telegram and imposed fines on the company totaling over 100 million rubles. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov has stated that negotiations regarding the full restoration of Telegram's operations in Russia are ongoing.
Telegram, launched by Durov in 2013, has grown into one of the world's most popular messaging applications, known for its emphasis on privacy and encryption. However, its decentralized nature and large group capacities have frequently made it a subject of scrutiny by various governments worldwide regarding content moderation and the prevention of illegal activities.
