Russia accuses Telegram founder of aiding terrorism in its latest online crackdown

FSB puts Pavel Durov on international wanted lists and says his messaging app is used for sabotage and murder

Russian officials have charged Pavel Durov, the founder and chief executive of the messaging app Telegram, with aiding terrorism.

The charges against the 41-year-old Russian-born billionaire, who lives in the Gulf, are the latest step by the Kremlin to bring the internet and digital communications under its control after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.