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FSB warrant for Durov
Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) issued an international arrest warrant for Telegram founder Pavel Durov on Wednesday, July 29, as part of a “criminal investigation” into alleged complicity in “terrorism.”
“issued an international arrest warrant as part of a 'criminal investigation' after accusations of complicity in 'terrorism'.”
The FSB, cited by TASS, said Telegram did not remove accounts used by “the Ukrainian secret services” and by “terrorist and extremist organizations” to “prepare and coordinate acts of sabotage and terrorism” on Russian soil.
Le Parisien reported that the FSB said one targeted account was “Leo Match Bot,” and that Moscow claimed “no fewer than 46 teenagers and young adults, aged between 12 and 22” were recruited in this manner.
The same Le Parisien account said Durov was in France and that Russian lawyer Vladimir Zherebenkov told TASS that a Russian court could issue an arrest warrant in absentia as part of steps toward extradition via Interpol.
AP News said the FSB accused Telegram’s administration of failing to remove “numerous channels, chats and bots” allegedly used by “Ukrainian intelligence agencies, terrorist and extremist organizations” to prepare and coordinate sabotage and terrorism, mass murder, and cyber fraud.
Telegram and officials react
Telegram’s official account on X responded to Russia’s arrest warrant by posting a photo of Pavel Durov giving the middle finger, according to The Moscow Times.
In Le Parisien, Durov had previously denounced Russia’s restriction of Telegram access in Russia last February, writing, “Restricting citizens' freedom is never the right solution. Telegram defends freedom of expression and privacy, whatever the pressures,”.
The Moscow Times also said Durov lives in Dubai and holds French and UAE citizenship, while AP News reported that Russia added the name of the “41-year-old billionaire” to international wanted lists.
AP News further reported that if convicted, Durov could face up to life in prison in Russia, and that Telegram did not respond to a request for comment.
Le Parisien said Durov had not reacted to the FSB’s statement at the time of publication, after the FSB cited by TASS said he was “on the list of people sought by international authorities” and “indicted under Article 205 of the Russian Penal Code.”
Wanted list and broader crackdown
Russia’s digital crackdown on Telegram is described as part of a broader effort to restrict online communications, with AP News saying Russia has sought to censor the internet under President Vladimir Putin and that WhatsApp and Telegram have been restricted.
“The charges against the Russian-born Durov, who lives abroad, came as authorities have sought to restrict the use of Telegram”
AP News reported that Telegram’s website says the company is based in Dubai and that Durov lives there too, while Le Parisien said Durov became a French citizen in 2021 and was arrested in France in August 2024.
Le Parisien said the FSB’s case is tied to Article 205 of the Russian Penal Code, which provides that acts of terrorism can be punished by “15 to 20 years in prison and by life imprisonment.”
In The Moscow Times, the charge of aiding terrorist activities was described as carrying a maximum prison sentence of 15 years, and it said Telegram has around “90 million users in Russia.”
AP News added that Russia has engaged in multipronged efforts to rein in the internet, including banning websites and platforms that don’t comply and throttling YouTube, while Telegram restrictions have elicited discontent and activists tried to organize protests that authorities quashed nearly all attempts.
