Russia has annoucned that it was seeking the arrest of Telegram founder Pavel Durov over accusations of "complicity in terrorism", alleging he had let the platform be used for recruitment by Ukraine's security services.
Issued on: 30/07/2026 - 13:34
4 min Reading time
Russian-born Durov, a serial tech founder who has lived outside Russia for years and holds French and United Arab Emirates passports, has frequently clashed with the Russian authorities as Moscow has tightened its grip on the internet. His Telegram messenger is one of the country's main communications platforms, and officials have repeatedly tried to block access or thwart its success in a bid to pressure Durov into handing over user data, or to push Russians towards using an unencrypted, state-backed alternative.
Founder and CEO of Telegram Pavel Durov delivers a keynote speech during the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain February 23, 2016. © Albert Ge / Reuters
