Paying for Telegram Premium remains legal in Russia, as current restrictions target Pavel Durov personally rather than the messaging platform itself.
Key facts
- •Pavel Durov is personally listed on Russia's registry of terrorists and extremists.
- •Telegram is not currently banned or listed as an extremist organization in Russia.
- •Payments for Telegram Premium go to the company, not to Durov personally.
- •Direct personal transfers to Durov could lead to criminal charges for financing extremist activity.
- •Penalties for financing extremist activity can reach up to eight years in prison.
Purchasing a Telegram Premium subscription is currently not a criminal offense in Russia. While the Federal Financial Monitoring Service (Rosfinmonitoring) has added Telegram founder Pavel Durov to its list of terrorists and extremists, the messaging application itself has not been designated as an extremist or terrorist organization by any court ruling.
Distinction Between Founder and Platform
The restrictions imposed by Rosfinmonitoring apply exclusively to Pavel Durov and his personal bank accounts within Russia. Payments for Telegram Premium are directed to the company’s corporate accounts, which are separate legal entities from Durov. Consequently, these transactions are not currently classified as the financing of terrorism.
Risks and Legal Thresholds
Legal experts, including Natalia Sekretareva of the Memorial Human Rights Defense Center, note that danger for users would only arise if Russian authorities officially ban Telegram as an extremist organization, similar to the action taken against Meta. Currently, Telegram does not appear on the registries maintained by the Justice Ministry or the FSB. However, authorities advise against making personal financial transfers to Durov, which could lead to account blocking or criminal charges for financing extremist or terrorist activity.
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This article was independently rewritten by ManyPress editorial AI from reporting originally published by Meduza (English).
