Russia has placed Pavel Durov, the founder of the Telegram messenger app, on its official list of “terrorists and extremists,” a designation announced by the FSB that intensifies pressure on the platform ahead of parliamentary elections in September.
Durov, who holds French and UAE passports, responded defiantly, posting photos and videos on Telegram and other platforms. One post on X showed him dancing alongside the words “freedom of expression,” according to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL).
The designation, announced on July 29 by Russia’s main domestic intelligence agency, stems from what authorities said was the app’s wide use by Ukrainian intelligence services. It places Durov in the same legal category as Aleksei Navalny, the late anti-corruption campaigner who died in a Russian prison after challenging the Kremlin.
Officials said the label would not apply to Telegram itself, which has faced mounting pressure from regulators and security services in recent years as part of a wider campaign to control what Russians read and watch online.
Along with WhatsApp, Telegram is among the most popular digital tools Russians use to communicate, share news and run businesses. WhatsApp has been throttled by regulators, slowed down and widely blocked, while Telegram has become a critical channel for both independent reporting and official messaging.
The move also exposes the Kremlin’s complicated relationship with the platform. Russian intelligence services are themselves believed to use Telegram for activities such as recruiting unwitting saboteurs in Europe, while Russian war bloggers use it to publicize military operations in Ukraine and raise money for Russian units.
Being named on the “terrorists and extremists” list can lead to criminal prosecution, asset freezes and travel restrictions, and it carries severe social stigma. The list has been used against Kremlin critics, including Navalny, and against religious and civic groups deemed a threat.
Telegram was briefly banned in Russia in 2018 over encryption disputes, a ban lifted in 2020, and the company has since faced repeated fines over content it refused to remove. Rights groups say the terrorism list is applied selectively to silence critics rather than to address genuine security threats.
Analysts see the designation as part of a tightening legal environment before the September vote. Durov left Russia in 2014 after refusing to comply with demands to hand over user data, and has since run Telegram from abroad. He also faces separate legal proceedings in France over content moderation, which he denies. The episode is likely to deepen uncertainty about the future of Telegram in Russia, where it remains one of the few platforms allowing unfiltered public discussion.
Sources: Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, TASS via Telegram, Telegram on X
Author: Russia Desk
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