The comments came a day after Russia’s Federal Security Service accused Durov of facilitating terrorist activity, alleging Telegram failed to remove channels used by terrorist groups and Ukrainian intelligence services.
The case builds on a criminal investigation Russia launched in February, when regulators accused Telegram of leaving nearly 155,000 channels, chats and bots online despite claims they violated Russian laws covering extremist content, terrorism, drug trafficking and other illicit activity
Related: Pavel Durov says Telegram to roll out native Gram crypto wallet The Russian case adds to Durov’s legal challenges abroad. Durov was arrested in France in August 2024 and remains under judicial investigation over allegations that Telegram facilitated criminal activity by failing to adequately moderate illegal content and respond to law enforcement requests. Durov has denied wrongdoing, arguing that French authorities failed to follow due process in seeking information from Telegram.
His arrest also prompted a TON Community-backed campaign that collected more than 9 million signatures on an open letter urging French authorities to release him. French authorities initially allowed Durov to temporarily return to Dubai in March 2025 before lifting his travel restrictions entirely later that year. Telegram is also facing fresh legal pressure in Australia, where regulators this week launched court proceedings alleging the platform failed to remove terrorism-related content.