Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) has formally charged Pavel Durov, founder of Telegram, with facilitating terrorist activity and placed him on an international wanted list, a direct escalation of a criminal case that first surfaced in February 2026.
The move adds a second major legal front for Durov, who simultaneously faces an ongoing criminal investigation in France. There has been no statement from the Telegram founder at the time of writing.
GRAM (formerly TON), the native token of Telegram, dropped by almost -2.5% on news of Russia’s terrorism charges against Durov. It is currently trading for $1.41.
RUSSIA CHARGES TELEGRAM FOUNDER PAVEL DUROV WITH AIDING TERRORISM, DUROV RESPONDS WITH MIDDLE FINGER
Russia’s FSB has charged Telegram founder Pavel Durov with aiding terrorism and placed him on an international wanted list, accusing the platform of failing to remove channels… https://t.co/qh4KyHCy4A
— Bitcoin News (@BitcoinNewsCom) July 29, 2026
What are Russia’s Allegations Against Pavel Durov?
The FSB told local news agency Interfax on Wednesday that Telegram’s administration had failed to remove channels, chats, and bots that Ukrainian intelligence services, terrorist groups, and extremist organizations allegedly used to coordinate attacks, recruit operatives, and conduct cyber fraud inside Russia.
The charge, facilitating terrorist activity, carries serious criminal weight under Russian law. An international arrest warrant has been issued as part of the case.
When the criminal case was first opened in February 2026, Durov addressed it directly in a post on X, stating that the authorities fabricate new pretexts each day to restrict Russians’ access to Telegram, as they seek to suppress the right to privacy and free speech.
The French Case Remains Active
The Russian warrant lands while Durov continues to face a separate criminal investigation in France over alleged illegal activity on Telegram. French authorities lifted his travel restrictions earlier this year, allowing him to leave the country, but the underlying investigation remains open.
Both cases raise questions about whether a platform’s operator bears legal responsibility for how the platform is used, though they differ in their specific allegations.
The French investigation concerns alleged illegal activity on Telegram. The Russian case centers on the FSB’s allegations that Telegram failed to remove content used by Ukrainian intelligence services, terrorist groups, and extremist organizations.
Russia’s FSB Accuses Telegram Founder Pavel Durov of Aiding Terrorism
According to Reuters, Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) has formally accused Telegram founder Pavel Durov of aiding terrorist activities and issued an international arrest warrant for him. The FSB said… pic.twitter.com/F5rXAzhTJY
— Wu Blockchain (@WuBlockchain) July 29, 2026
Why This Matters for Telegram’s Crypto Ecosystem
The legal exposure around Durov is relevant to anyone holding or using assets connected to the TON ecosystem, given Telegram’s role in that space. Telegram has announced plans to roll out a native Gram crypto wallet for its users.
Any scenario involving forced government cooperation, operational disruption, or leadership instability at Telegram carries downstream risk for that ecosystem.
The Durov cases are being closely watched as legal and regulatory pressure on messaging platforms and their founders continues to grow across multiple jurisdictions.
GRAM Token Drops -2.5% on Pavel Durov Terrorism Charges
$GRAM aka $TON looks about to blast pic.twitter.com/JTRl9gldcz
— Eunice D Wong
(@Eunicedwong) July 22, 2026
GRAM coin (formerly TON) is the native token of Telegram and has dropped nearly 3% over the past 24 hours to $1.42, reacting negatively to news of a warrant for Pavel Durov in Russia.
Daily trading volume for GRAM sits at $44.6M, up from $41M yesterday. It is the 24th largest digital asset with a market cap of $3.86Bn.
Right now, $1.50 is acting as strong resistance and will need to be breached for any chance of a run toward $2. As for support, $1.40 is the line in the sand, with the $1.30s absent from the GRAM chart since May 2026.
GRAM is down over -11% over the past month, highlighting a significant downtrend. The only catalyst likely to reverse its course would be positive news regarding Pavel Durov’s terrorism case in Russia.
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The post Russia Charges Pavel Durov With Terrorism, Escalating Telegram Crackdown appeared first on 99Bitcoins.
