Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) charged Pavel Durov, the founder and owner of Telegram, under Article 205.1, Part 1.1 of the Russian Criminal Code for allegedly aiding terrorist activities

Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) charged Pavel Durov, the founder and owner of Telegram, under Article 205.1, Part 1.1 of the Russian Criminal Code for allegedly aiding terrorist activities

¨     Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) charged Pavel Durov, the founder and owner of Telegram, on 29 July 2026 under Article 205.1, Part 1.1 of the Russian Criminal Code for allegedly aiding terrorist activities.

¨     The FSB also placed him on an international wanted list.

¨     Article 205.1 of the Russian Criminal Code deals with assistance to terrorist activities.

¨     It covers offences such as support, recruitment, financing, and other forms of assistance related to terrorism under Russian law.

¨     The FSB accused Telegram of failing to remove channels, chats, and bots allegedly used for sabotage, terrorism, mass murder, and cyber fraud.

¨     The agency also alleged that Ukrainian intelligence services and extremist groups used Telegram to coordinate activities inside Russia.

¨     Pavel Durov holds dual citizenship of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and France.

¨     He resides in Dubai, and Telegram’s official headquarters is also based in Dubai.

¨     In 2024, Durov was arrested in Paris over allegations that Telegram was used for illicit activities, including drug trafficking and the distribution of child sexual abuse material.

¨     He returned to Dubai in March 2025.