Russia Adds Telegram Founder to Terrorist List

Russia on Thursday officially included Pavel Durov, the founder of the popular messaging platform Telegram, in the country's registry of terrorists and extremists. This move came one day after the Federal Security Service (FSB) announced that a criminal case had been initiated against Durov on charges of terrorist activities. The decision is part of a broader pattern of repression by Russian authorities against technology entrepreneurs and independent platforms. Durov, who left Russia after previous conflicts with the authorities, currently resides abroad. Official sources have not provided further details on the specific reasons for his inclusion on the list, but it is seen as a serious escalation. Telegram remains widely used in Russia and other former Soviet states, although the platform has faced increasing pressure from the Kremlin.