Pavel Durov, the founder of the messaging app Telegram, said he has received a summons from Russia in which he is identified as a “defendant” in a criminal case.
Durov wrote on Telegram on Wednesday, April 22, that the summons was sent to an old address in Russia, where he had lived about 20 years ago.
He added that in the document, he is referred to as a defendant.
Durov said: “They are probably suspecting me because of defending freedom of speech and the right to private communication under the Russian Constitution. I am proud to be accused.”
According to reports, Russian authorities have increased pressure on Telegram in recent months, accusing the platform of being used for “terrorist” activities, allegations that Telegram has denied.
Telegram, with more than one billion active users, is widely used in both Russia and Ukraine, and Moscow is trying to push users toward a state-backed alternative messaging app.
