Overview
- On Wednesday, July 29, 2026, the Federal Security Service (FSB) published an international wanted notice charging Pavel Durov with "facilitating terrorism" and opening a criminal case against him.
- Russian authorities say Telegram failed to remove channels, bots and a dating chatbot called Daivínchik/Leo that they allege Ukrainian intelligence and extremists used to recruit, extort and coordinate sabotage, and they cite the detention of 46 people aged about 12–22 since July 2025 as evidence.
- Legal experts quoted in the coverage say Moscow could seek Durov's arrest in absentia and request extradition through Interpol, and Russian law allows penalties that include life imprisonment if convictions are obtained.
- Telegram and Durov publicly rejected the move and the platform posted an image of Durov making an obscene gesture; the app remains effectively blocked in Russia and many users rely on VPNs to access it.
- The case deepens a long-running clash over encryption, platform responsibility and state internet control and could heighten cross-border legal conflict after prior proceedings in France and other countries.