Translated material
A letter was sent to Durov's old address where he is named as a "suspect"
The founder of the Telegram messenger Pavel Durov on the evening of April 22 reported that a registered letter was sent to his name at the address where he lived 20 years ago in Russia, in the addressee column of which he was called a “suspect.”
The apartment in Russia where I lived 20 years ago received a summons for “Suspect PV Durov”. They must suspect me of defending Articles 29 and 23 of the Russian Constitution - guaranteeing freedom of speech and the right to private correspondence. Proud to be guilty! 😏 pic.twitter.com/3jqQbbKxPI
— Pavel Durov (@durov) April 22, 2026
"They must suspect me of defending Articles 29 and 23 of the Russian Constitution, which guarantee freedom of speech and the right to privacy of correspondence. I am proud to be guilty!" - wrote Durov. He did not specify which department the letter came from and for what reason. 20 years ago Durov lived in St. Petersburg.
Subpoenas to court or for interrogation can be sent by registered mail. As Mediazona notes , as a rule, in such letters in the “to” field only the recipient’s last name and initials are indicated, but not their status. The tracking code of the letter received by Durov indicates that it was most likely sent from Donetsk, that is, from the occupied territory of the Donetsk region (in Russian terminology - “DPR”).
Durov, who lives abroad, claimed that a criminal case had been opened against him in Russia back in February, after Roskomnadzor announced further restrictions on Telegram’s activities in the country. At the same time, Rossiyskaya Gazeta and Komsomolskaya Pravda, in articles published on the same day, written “based on FSB materials,” claimed that Durov was being investigated under the article of promoting terrorism. Officially, however, law enforcement agencies have still not reported the existence of such a case and that Durov is a suspect.
Pavel Durov sharply criticizes the Russian authorities for the restrictions imposed against Telegram. "Every day the authorities come up with new excuses to limit Russians' access to Telegram, seeking to suppress the right to privacy and freedom of speech. It is a sad sight to see a state that is afraid of its own people," Durov, who criticizes Telegram and European countries for their approach to operations, wrote in February.
In April, after Telegram actually began to be blocked in Russia, he called for “digital resistance” and noted that the messenger would develop new ways to bypass blocking. The authorities’ fight against Telegram has drawn criticism, including from a number of war-time bloggers, who point to the popularity of the messenger in the war-time environment and its use as a means of communication at the front.
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A letter was sent to Durov's old address where he is named as a "suspect"