Russia Charges Pavel Durov With Terrorism, Escalating Telegram Crackdown
Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) has formally charged Pavel Durov, founder of Telegram, with facilitating terrorist activity and placed him on an international wanted list, a direct escalation of a criminal case that first surfaced in February 2026.
The move adds a second major legal front for Durov, who simultaneously faces an ongoing criminal investigation in France. There has been no statement from the Telegram founder at the time of writing.
GRAM (formerly TON), the native token of Telegram, dropped by almost -2.5% on news of Russia’s terrorism charges against Durov. It is currently trading for $1.41.
RUSSIA CHARGES TELEGRAM FOUNDER PAVEL DUROV WITH AIDING TERRORISM, DUROV RESPONDS WITH MIDDLE FINGER
Russia’s FSB has charged Telegram founder Pavel Durov with aiding terrorism and placed him on an international wanted list, accusing the platform of failing to remove channels… https://t.co/qh4KyHCy4A
- Bitcoin News (@BitcoinNewsCom) July 29, 2026
What are Russia’s Allegations Against Pavel Durov?
The FSB told local news agency Interfax on Wednesday that Telegram’s administration had failed to remove channels, chats, and bots that Ukrainian intelligence services, terrorist groups, and extremist organizations allegedly used to coordinate attacks, recruit operatives, and conduct cyber fraud inside Russia.
… Continue reading the full article at the original source below.
