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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
World
Pjotr Sauer

Russia opens criminal case into Telegram founder Pavel Durov

Angry looking young man in hoodie holds up painting of Pavel Durov in icon style with other people holding yellow banner behind him
Young people rallying in St Petersburg, Russia, with an icon-stylised painting of Pavel Durov during a 2018 attempt to ban Telegram. Photograph: Olga Maltseva/AFP/Getty Images

Russia has launched a criminal investigation into the Telegram founder, Pavel Durov, on suspicion of “abetting terrorist activities”, further escalating the Kremlin’s standoff with the widely used messaging app.

The state newspaper Rossiyskaya Gazeta reported on Tuesday that a case had been opened “based on materials from Russia’s federal security service”, which accused the app of being compromised by western and Ukrainian intelligence.

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