Telegram founder Pavel Durov claims Russia placed him on 'terrorist' list for refusing to censor messaging platform
Durov explained that, by appearing on this blacklist, he is prohibited under Russian law from "publishing information on the Internet." Sarcastically, he added: "Russian officials have clearly got confused about who can ban whom from the Internet."
Pavel Durov, founder of Telegram, in 2025. File photo
Telegram founder Pavel Durov denounced on Thursday that Russian authorities had labelled him a "terrorist" after he refused to accept Moscow's demands to implement mass surveillance and censorship on his messaging platform.
"Russia has designated me as a 'terrorist' for refusing its demands for mass surveillance and censorship on Telegram," Durov wrote on his own channel.
Moscow is seeking to arrest Durov and has banned him from posting online
The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) stated on Wednesday, in a statement accessed by AFP, that it had issued an international arrest warrant against the entrepreneur after accusing him of "complicity in terrorism." A day later, the Kremlin added Durov to a blacklist of "terrorists and extremists."
Moscow accuses Durov of allowing Ukrainian intelligence services to use the app. The 41-year-old businessman has been living outside Russia for several years and holds passports from France and the United Arab Emirates.
Durov explained that, by appearing on this blacklist, he is prohibited under Russian law from "publishing information on the Internet." Sarcastically, he added: "Russian officials have clearly got confused about who can ban whom from the Internet."
Telegram, the messaging app Russia can't control
The decision to label Durov a "terrorist" represents the most open clash yet between the Kremlin and one of the most widely used messaging platforms in the Russian-speaking world.
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