Telegram founder flips off Russia after being charged with terrorism

Russian authorities have formally charged Telegram founder Pavel Durov with aiding terrorism, state news agency RIA Novosti reported Wednesday.

Officials also placed the tech billionaire on an international wanted list.

Moscow security officials claim his messaging service refused to remove channels used by Ukrainian intelligence. According to Reuters, the Federal Security Service accused these channels of coordinating “terrorist attacks and mass killings” across Russia.

Investigators pointed directly at a popular dating chatbot on the app called Daivinchik. Ukrainian spies allegedly posed as young women on the bot to trick young men into committing arson and sabotage.

Since last July, security forces have arrested 46 young users across 16 Russian regions over these alleged attacks.

And how did Durov react? Well, we can’t be sure that it is actually a response to the new charges, but hours after the news broke, the official X-account of Telegram posted a picture of Durov giving the camera the finger.

A digital battlefield

The escalation marks the latest move in Moscow’s campaign to control online spaces. Over recent months, officials have heavily throttled Telegram. That forced citizens to rely on virtual private networks just to open their chats.

Yet despite the crackdown, official Kremlin accounts still post to the app daily. Telegram has turned into a “virtual battlefield” during the war. It serves as a primary hub for soldiers, bloggers, and officials on both sides.

Durov is no stranger to state pressure. Back in 2014, he sold his stake in social network VKontakte and fled Russia after defying demands to hand over private user data.

In 2024, French authorities detained the billionaire over allegations of inadequate content moderation before releasing him on bail.

Standing his ground

When Russian authorities previously sent a summons to his old apartment, Durov remained unfazed. “They must be suspecting me of defending Articles 29 and 23 of the Russian Constitution, which guarantee freedom of speech and the right to private correspondence. Proud to be guilty!” he wrote online.

Now living in Dubai, the tech mogul holds French and Emirati passports. Extraditing him to Moscow could spark a major diplomatic headache for the UAE.

For now, the app keeps running. And its founder shows no sign of backing down.

This article is made and published by Jens Asbjørn Bogen, who may have used AI in the preparation