Pavel Durov, founder and CEO of Telegram, announced on his platform on 30/7 that Russian authorities had placed him on a "terrorist" list. He stated this was due to his refusal of comprehensive surveillance and censorship demands on Telegram. Durov added that Russian law now prohibits him from posting information online. "They are clearly mistaken about who has the right to ban whom from using the internet", he said.

Billionaire Pavel Durov in Paris in 12/2024. *AFP*.

Russia has prosecuted Durov on charges of "abetting terrorist activities" and issued an international arrest warrant for him. The Federal Security Service (FSB) accused Telegram of failing to remove content "used by Ukrainian special services and terrorist organizations to carry out sabotage, terrorism, massacres, and online fraud in Russia". Subsequently, the Federal Financial Monitoring Service (Rosfinmonitoring) added Durov to its list of "terrorists and extremists".

Individuals and organizations on this list are prohibited by Russia from engaging with media, posting information on the internet, organizing public events, participating in elections, and using financial services other than paying taxes, receiving salaries, and compensation.

Durov was born in Russia but holds passports from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and France. He has not resided in Russia for many years, and his current whereabouts are unknown.

Telegram, an encrypted messaging application launched in 2013, claims over one billion users and is widely utilized by both sides in the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Russian authorities have repeatedly attempted to restrict Telegram's use over the past years.