I do not consider Pavel Durov to be a criminal and I hope he will be able to prove his innocence in court, Yashin wrote on X on Monday. The sentiment was echoed across the opposition.
Durov, as the 27-year-old CEO of VKontakte, received a request from the FSB to take down the pages of opposition groups. Durov refused and would eventually be forced to sell VKontakte to the state, making him a rare tech mogul to defy the Russian authorities.
Durov's next project, the messaging app Telegram, was built on the principle of user privacy. It also introduced channels that allow moderators to quickly disseminate information to large numbers of followers.
Despite growing rumours that Durov may have fallen under the Kremlin's influence, Telegram has remained the primary channel for dissent in Russia, especially after the outbreak of the war.
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