Russia charges Telegram founder Pavel Durov with aiding terrorism

Russia’s FSB has charged Telegram co-founder Pavel Durov with “aiding terrorism” and issued an international arrest warrant, claiming the platform has not removed content used by Ukrainian intelligence and extremist groups for planning attacks. This comes as the Russian government intensifies efforts to restrict Telegram and promote its state-backed MAX messenger, which lacks end-to-end encryption. Durov, who has faced previous legal challenges, maintains that the charges are attempts to limit privacy and free speech.

Want More Context? 🔎