Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) announced it has filed a criminal indictment against Telegram founder Pavel Durov on charges of aiding terrorism, and initiated the procedure to place him on the international wanted list. The move comes two days after Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed talks with Telegram's management about restoring full service in Russia, but complained about the company's lack of cooperation.
Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) announced Wednesday that it has filed a criminal indictment against Telegram founder and CEO Pavel Durov on charges of aiding terrorism, and has initiated the official procedure to place him on the international wanted list. The FSB stated that the indictment was filed and the process for inclusion in the international wanted list has been activated.
The indictment marks a significant escalation in the legal pressure on Durov. As The Zioneer reported earlier today, Russian authorities had already issued an arrest warrant for Durov earlier this week. The new criminal charges add a further layer of legal jeopardy for the Telegram founder, who has been a target of Russian authorities for years over the platform's refusal to provide user data.
The move comes just two days after Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed that talks were underway with Telegram's management to restore full service in Russia, but complained that the company's leadership was not showing initiative or willingness to cooperate. The indictment suggests a hardening of the Russian government's stance toward the messaging platform.
The charges against Durov and the international wanted list procedure could have implications for Telegram's operations globally, as the company has long resisted government demands for encryption keys and user data.
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