Russia opens criminal investigation against Telegram app founder Pavel Durov
The Hindu
Russia initiates a criminal investigation against Telegram founder Pavel Durov, citing charges of “aiding terrorism” amid privacy concerns.
Pavel Durov, the founder of the Telegram messaging app, said on Tuesday (February 25, 2026) that the Russian government had opened a criminal investigation against him on charges of “aiding terrorism.”
Mr. Durov, who was born and began his career in Russia, accused Moscow of fabricating pretexts to restrict access by Russians to the Telegram service as part of an attempt to “suppress the right to privacy and free speech.”
“A sad spectacle of a state afraid of its own people,” Mr. Durov wrote on social media.
Russian media outlets had begun circulating unconfirmed reports earlier in the day that a criminal investigation had been opened against Mr. Durov by Russia’s Federal Security Service, or FSB.
Also Read | Telegram’s Pavel Durov says proposed Spanish social media restrictions seek to censor critics
It comes two weeks after Russia’s communications watchdog, Roskomnadzor, announced it would restrict the Telegram app, accusing the company of refusing to comply with Russian law.
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