A resident of Nizhny Tagil was arrested after sending paid reactions on Telegram to support a terrorist organization, news outlet Pod'yom reported.
Investigators said the man transferred 1,148 rubles and 29 kopecks through the messaging application by leaving paid star reactions under posts. The funds were allegedly sent in support of an individual involved in the activities of an organization recognized as terrorist by a court decision.
Authorities opened a criminal case against the Russian citizen under charges of assistance to terrorist activity in the form of financing. If convicted, he faces a sentence ranging from eight to 15 years in prison, with life imprisonment also possible.
Telegram founder reaction
In late July, Telegram founder Pavel Durov, who is listed on the Rosfinmonitoring registry of terrorists and extremists, joked about his inclusion. Durov published a picture of himself captioned as an accomplice of terrorists alongside an image of radical Islamic Taliban movement representatives labeled as respected partners, telling readers not to confuse the two.
