Russia Issues International Arrest Warrant for Telegram Founder Pavel Durov Over Alleged Promotion of Terrorism

Moscow — Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) on Wednesday issued an international arrest warrant for Pavel Durov, founder of messaging platform Telegram, accusing him of promoting terrorist activities. The FSB said Telegram failed to remove content allegedly used to plan and coordinate sabotage, terrorist attacks, mass killings and cyber fraud within Russia.
The security agency claimed the posts and channels in question were reportedly exploited by Ukrainian special agencies as well as extremist and terrorist groups to organize destructive acts and criminal operations inside Russia. The FSB stated it had issued an international warrant for Durov, but neither Durov nor Telegram had issued an official response as of the announcement.
Founded by Durov in 2013, Telegram now counts more than 1 billion active users. The platform played a prominent role in information exchange during the Russia-Ukraine war and remains widely used across both countries. Observers say Moscow’s move is part of a renewed effort to tighten control over Telegram, while state-backed messaging services are being promoted as local alternatives.
Durov, who was born in Russia, later acquired citizenships in the United Arab Emirates and France. Before Telegram, he founded the Russian social network VKontakte but sold his remaining stake in 2014 amid increasing pressure from Russian authorities.
French authorities are separately investigating Telegram, alleging the platform has not taken adequate measures to prevent criminal activity nor sufficiently cooperated with law enforcement. Durov has repeatedly denied such allegations. The Russian case could add to his mounting legal challenges.