Legal pressure on Telegram co-founder and CEO Pavel Durov has escalated dramatically in two countries simultaneously.
The 41-year-old billionaire faces an international arrest warrant from Moscow and an ongoing, serious investigation by French judicial authorities. The trials against him raise fundamental global questions about the responsibility of technology managers for the content that users publish on their applications.
The new judicial front in Russia: Accusations of complicity in terrorism
On July 29, 2026, the Federal Security Service (FSB) of the Russian Federation officially charged Pavel Durov with "complicity and facilitation of terrorist activity" and put him on the international wanted list.
Russian authorities claim that Telegram's administration has systematically refused to remove channels, chats and automated bots used by Ukrainian secret services and extremist organizations to coordinate sabotage, cyberscams and terrorist acts on Russian territory. According to a statement by the FSB, quoted by world agencies, 46 young people between the ages of 12 and 22 were detained in the past year who were recruited in Russia through the popular dating bot "Davinchik", writes The Record from Recorded Future News.
Details about the Russian production:
- Potential punishment: If convicted on these charges, Russian law provides for a sentence of up to life in prison.
- Durov's reaction: Durov himself, whose location remains unclear, reacted via Telegram's official account on the X platform, posting his iconic archive photo with an indecent gesture. He had previously stated that the Kremlin was fabricating accusations to limit Russian citizens' access to free speech and encrypted correspondence.
The French investigation: Lack of moderation and organized crime
In parallel with the Russian pressure, Pavel Durov remains the subject of large-scale criminal proceedings in France, which began with his showy arrest at "Le Bourget" airport near Paris in August 2024.
The French prosecutor's office is investigating a total of 12 preliminary charges. They do not refer to Durov's personal criminal actions, but are based on the legal doctrine that, as the operator of the platform, he bears criminal liability for its use by criminal structures. The French proceedings focus on:
- Distribution of Illegal Materials: Charges of facilitating the distribution of child sexual exploitation material.
- Organized crime: Using the Telegram network for drug trafficking, fraud, and money laundering.
- Lack of cooperation: Refusal to provide information and decryption keys to law enforcement authorities upon lawful requests.
In early 2025, French courts eased his detention and allowed him to leave the country on bail of 5 million euros, but the investigation itself remains active and French investigators have conducted additional interviews with him, including this month.
Global legal pressure: New cases in Australia as well
Telegram's problems with content moderation are growing globally. On July 30, 2026, the Australian online regulator launched a formal case against the platform in the Federal Court of Australia. The charges relate to Telegram leaving videos of terrorist content and mass shootings online for weeks after they were reported, for which the company faces a fine of more than A$54 million.
The case of Pavel Durov, who holds French and Emirati citizenship, is setting a precedent for the future of digital privacy and drawing a legal line between the right to encrypted communication and the obligation of tech giants to stop international terrorism and cybercrime.