[Russia Investigates Telegram Founder Pavel Durov, Accusing Him of Assisting Terrorist Activities] According to ForkLog, multiple Russian media outlets, citing the country’s Federal Security Service, report that Telegram founder Pavel Durov is under criminal investigation for allegedly assisting terrorist activities under Article 205.1, Section 1.1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (Assistance to Terrorist Activities). The investigation involves the dissemination of illegal content, accusing the platform's management of ignoring demands from Russian communication regulators to remove banned channels and chats, while Telegram has been used for criminal activities and the distribution of materials from extremist and terrorist organizations. In the summer of 2025, Russian communication regulators began restricting the service, citing an increase in fraudulent activities. In February 2026, they intensified "traffic throttling" measures, claiming the platform failed to comply with Russian laws. At the time, Durov responded by stating that "Telegram defends freedom of speech and privacy."