The founder of Telegram, Pavel Durov:
Russia is restricting access to Telegram in an attempt to force its citizens to switch to a state-controlled application created for surveillance and political censorship.
Eight years ago, Iran tried the same strategy —and failed—. It banned Telegram under fabricated pretexts, trying to force people to use a state-managed alternative.
Despite the ban, most Iranians still use Telegram (bypassing censorship) and prefer it over monitored applications.
Restricting citizens' freedom is never the right answer. Telegram defends freedom of expression and privacy, regardless of pressure.