Telegram founder Pavel Durov posted a meme on his Telegram channel…

Telegram founder Pavel Durov posted a meme on his Telegram channel after being added to the Russian list of 'terrorists and extremists'.

Consensus

Pavel Durov changed his profile picture in Telegram to a meme after being added to Russia's 'terrorists and extremist' list.
The change involved an image with Durov's face superimposed on that of a militant from ISIS.
This meme was previously used by Durov in 2017 on VKontakte following a technical failure.
The FSB accused Durov of aiding terrorism under Article 205.1, Part 1.1 of the Russian Criminal Code.
Durov was declared wanted internationally by the FSB on July 29, 2024.
Telegram has not removed channels and bots allegedly used by Ukrainian intelligence for terrorist activities and fraud.

Durov posted a meme comparing himself to Taliban representatives shaking hands with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, implying Russia's diplomatic ties with the Taliban despite its designation as a terrorist group. — meduza
The Supreme Court of Russia removed the Taliban from the terrorist registry in April 2025. — meduza
Durov's new avatar was used to respond to his international arrest warrant and allegations that Telegram facilitated Ukrainian intelligence operations involving mass casualties and billions in damage. — vedomosti
The FSB identified a scheme using the Telegram bot 'Davynchik/Leo' to recruit Russian youth for criminal acts by posing as law enforcement officials. — vedomosti
Over 24,000 cases of remote fraud involving Telegram were reported by Russian internal affairs authorities since early 2026. — vedomosti