Telegram Founder Pavel Durov Responds to Russian Investigation

Pavel Durov, the founder of the messaging platform Telegram, has commented on reports of a criminal case initiated against him in Russia. In a statement published on his official channel, Durov described the proceedings as an attempt to restrict fundamental rights. "Russia has opened a criminal case against me for alleged complicity in terrorism. Every day, authorities invent new pretexts to limit Russians' access to Telegram, seeking to suppress the right to privacy and freedom of speech.” Official Response From the Kremlin Presidential spokesperson Dmitry Peskov addressed the situation by pointing to what he described as Telegram's reluctance to cooperate with Russian authorities. He emphasized that relevant state agencies act within their legal mandate. "We are, of course, familiar with these publications. They were prepared using materials from the FSB, which carries out its functions. A large number of violations and a lack of cooperation from Telegram's administration have been recorded. Significant volumes of content potentially posing risks to national security have also been identified.” Nature of the Investigation Russian media outlets, including Rossiyskaya Gazeta and Komsomolskaya Pravda, reported that Durov's actions are being examined under provisions related to alleged facilitation of terrorist activities. Citing law enforcement sources, the publications referenced statistics concerning crimes reportedly linked to Telegram since 2022.