Russia's Crackdown on Telegram and Free Speech

Telegram founder Pavel Durov faces criminal charges in Russia amid efforts to suppress privacy and free speech. Authorities are attempting to block Telegram, which is widely used in Russia and Ukraine, pushing users toward a state-endorsed alternative. Durov denounces the crackdown as a fabricated attack.

Telegram founder Pavel Durov is embroiled in a legal battle with Russian authorities, who have initiated a criminal case against him alleging 'aiding terrorism.'

Russian officials are actively seeking to ban Telegram, a popular messaging platform with over 1 billion users, in favor of a state-backed service called MAX.

Durov criticized the government's actions as a targeted assault on privacy and free speech, describing daily pretexts to limit Russians' access to the app.

(With inputs from agencies.)