"Proud to Be Guilty"... Telegram Founder Receives Summons from Russian Authorities

"Summons Sent to the Apartment I Lived in 20 Years Ago"
"Suspected of Defending Freedom of Expression"

Pavel Durov, the 42-year-old founder of the closed messenger application 'Telegram,' has been named a suspect in a criminal case and received a summons from the Russian judicial authorities.

According to reports from foreign media on April 22 (local time), Durov posted a photo of the summons sent by the Russian post office on his Telegram channel that day. Durov stated, "A summons for 'suspect' Durov arrived at the apartment in Russia where I lived 20 years ago," and added, "It seems the Russian authorities suspect me of defending Article 29 and Article 23 of the Russian Constitution, which guarantee freedom of expression and the secrecy of communications."

Telegram Founder Pavel Durov. Photo by AP Yonhap News

He included a smiling emoji and wrote, "Proud to be guilty!" However, it has not been confirmed whether the photo Durov released is an authentic summons from the Russian authorities.

Telegram is a closed messenger app used around the world. It is known for its strong privacy protection features, making it difficult to access message contents thanks to end-to-end encryption technology.

Photo of the summons from Russian judicial authorities disclosed by Durov. Screenshot from Telegram

Since February, the Russian authorities have imposed restrictions on Telegram services, such as reducing speeds and blocking voice and video calls, arguing that Telegram does not comply with Russian law. Telegram is the most actively used messenger among Russian internet users, and soldiers on the battlefield also rely on it as a critical means of communication.

Meanwhile, Durov launched Telegram in 2013 and is now known as a billionaire with assets estimated at 17 billion dollars (approximately 23 trillion won). Although he was born in Russia, he currently holds citizenship in France and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.