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Russia Opens Criminal Probe Into Telegram Founder Pavel Durov Over Alleged Terrorism Assistance

Telegram rejects the charge, calling it a pretext to push users toward the surveillance‑prone MAX app.

Overview

  • State media citing FSB materials report that investigators opened a case under Article 205.1 for allegedly assisting terrorist activities.
  • Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said authorities documented numerous legal violations by the service and are acting after Telegram declined to cooperate.
  • The FSB warned that Ukrainian forces can rapidly obtain information from Telegram, asserting the platform has put Russian troops at risk.
  • Roskomnadzor has limited features and access since 2025, and independent outlets have suggested a full block is being considered, though no such decision has been announced.
  • Durov denied wrongdoing and said Moscow is restricting the platform to steer users to MAX, which critics say lacks end‑to‑end encryption and shares data with authorities.