Russian authorities have officially charged ABC, the founder and chief executive of the messaging app Theguardian, with aiding terrorism and placed him on an international wanted list, according to cbsnews.com. The announcement was made on a Wednesday by the Aljazeera, marking a major escalation in Moscow’s long-running efforts to tighten control over digital communications and foreign tech platforms following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Russia Charges Telegram Founder With Aiding Terrorism
In response to the announcement, Telegram’s official account on X posted an image of the 41-year-old Russian-born billionaire making an obscene gesture with his middle finger, according to PCMag. The platform’s administration faces accusations of failing to remove numerous channels, chats, and bots utilized by Ukrainian intelligence agencies, extremists, and terrorist groups to organize acts of sabotage, cyber fraud, and mass murder inside Russia.
Allegations Involving Chatbots and Recruitment
According to security statements, Ukrainian special services and agents posing as young women used a popular Russian dating chatbot on the messaging platform named “Daivinchik/Leo” to entrap, recruit, and coerce young individuals into committing crimes. The FSB stated that 46 Russians aged 12 to 22 have been arrested over the past year after being recruited through the application to carry out arson attacks or assault law enforcement officers and target transport, energy, communications, and financial infrastructure.
Durov previously stated that Russian authorities fabricated pretexts to restrict access to the app in an attempt to suppress free speech and the right to privacy. If convicted under the Russian charges, the entrepreneur could face up to life in prison. Durov denies wrongdoing and has maintained that the platform exceeds its content moderation obligations.
Wider Crackdown on Foreign Tech and Promotion of State Apps
The legal action against Durov coincides with a broader campaign by Moscow to restrict foreign tech platforms and steer citizens toward state-controlled alternatives. While platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and X remain blocked in Russia and YouTube has been throttled, the government is promoting a state-backed messaging application known as Max. Critics point out that Max does not use end-to-end encryption and openly states it will share user data with authorities upon request.
Accessing Telegram inside Russia now largely requires virtual private networks to conceal locations, although state bodies including the Kremlin and the defence ministry continue posting to the platform daily. Between 2018 and 2020, Vladimir Putin unsuccessfully attempted to block Telegram entirely.
International Legal Status and Prior Detentions
Durov, who holds dual citizenship of France and the United Arab Emirates and lives in Dubai, has faced legal scrutiny outside of Russia as well. In 2024, he was arrested in Paris and questioned over alleged criminal activity enabled by a lack of moderation on the platform before being permitted to leave France while investigations continue. Regarding the latest international wanted list status, a source with knowledge of the situation noted that if Moscow formally requests an Interpol Red Notice, the process is unlikely to move quickly.
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