Telegram’s official X account has posted a picture of Durov ‘giving the middle finger’.

The founder and owner of the messaging/social media app Telegram, Pavel Durov, saw his judicial situation become more complicated today (29).

Besides his ongoing case in France – where he faces criminal prosecution for 12 counts, including complicity in drug trafficking and child sexual exploitation – now Durov is ‘wanted’ in his native Russia.

Russia’s main domestic security agency, the FSB, announced that Durov has been charged with aiding terrorism and put on an international wanted list.

pic.twitter.com/7LEvOWAI3L

— Telegram Messenger (@telegram) July 29, 2026

CBS News reported:

“The charges against Durov, who was born and began his career in Russia but later moved abroad, came as the Russian authorities restrict Telegram, one of the most popular messaging apps in the country.

[…] Soon after the charges were announced, Telegram’s official account on X posted an image of Durov making an obscene gesture with his middle finger. There was no other immediate comment from Durov or Telegram.”

Russia has declared Telegram founder Pavel Durov wanted internationally on charges of assisting terrorist activity.

The reason was the refusal of Telegram’s administration to delete a number of channels, chats, and bots at the request of the FSB.

Russian special services… pic.twitter.com/e6dZat0K4s

— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) July 29, 2026

“The Federal Security Service, also known as the FSB, accused Telegram’s administration in a statement of failing to remove ‘numerous channels, chats and bots’ that are ‘actively used by Ukrainian intelligence agencies, terrorist, and extremist organizations to prepare and coordinate acts of sabotage and terrorism, mass murder, and cyberfraud’ in Russia, which resulted in ‘numerous human casualties’.”

Russia just put the Telegram founder on an international most-wanted list.

The FSB charged Pavel Durov with aiding terrorism and issued a warrant for his arrest, accusing him of letting Ukrainian intelligence use the app to coordinate attacks inside Russia.

Durov, who lives… pic.twitter.com/w0jGhaxTFh

— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) July 29, 2026

Reuters reported:

“The charges, announced by the Federal Security Service (FSB), marked the culmination of a long investigation against Dubai-based Durov and Telegram.

Moscow has effectively throttled the service as part of a wider campaign to ​cut off access to foreign tech platforms and tighten control over the internet.

Russians can only access Telegram now by using a VPN ​to encrypt traffic and conceal their location. Yet state bodies including the Kremlin and the defense ministry continue to post ⁠to it on a daily basis.

The app has been described as a ‘virtual battlefield’ in the war between Russia and Ukraine, where it is used ​by officials, soldiers and influential bloggers on both sides.”

Telegram’s TikTok account:

Meanwhile, this video appeared on Telegram’s official TikTok account around three hours before Russia’s FSB announced terrorism charges against founder Pavel Durov. https://t.co/tf4xJO5n6I pic.twitter.com/SunjRfbEIM

— Brian McDonald (@BrianMcDonaldIE) July 29, 2026

Read more from February:

Russia Is Investigating Telegram Founder Pavel Durov in Terrorism-Related Probe

The post Russia Charges Telegram Founder Pavel Durov With Aiding Terrorism, Includes Him on International Wanted List appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the former NIAID director and face of America’s disastrous COVID response, finally appeared under subpoena Wednesday morning before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.

Fauci REFUSED to testify pleading the 5th Amendment out of the gate.

The hearing, titled “Testimony of Anthony Fauci,” began at 8:30 a.m. ET on July 29 in Room SD-342 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building, according to the official committee notice.

Committee Chairman Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) had to force him there. After months of negotiations, Fauci agreed to testify, then backed out. Paul issued the subpoena. “He will testify in July,” Paul announced. Accountability is coming.

But Fauci refused to testify.

The monster is guilty as sin.

As The Gateway Pundit reported earlier —

This is the same Fauci who told Congress under oath that the NIH “has not ever and does not now fund gain-of-function research” at the Wuhan Institute of Virology, while the evidence shows U.S. taxpayer dollars did exactly that.

The same Fauci who dismissed the lab-leak theory as a “conspiracy” even as private notes and emails showed early concerns about engineered features in the virus. The same Fauci who received a preemptive, blanket pardon from Joe Biden on the way out the door.

And that is just the tip of the iceberg. Literally every single position Fauci proposed during the pandemic was inane and false.

Fauci didn’t care. The wicked man knew he had to hide his involvement in funding the studies that resulted in the lab leak in Wuhan, China.

On Wednesday morning, Rep. Paulina Luna called on state Attorney Generals to bring charges against Dr. “Mengele” Fauci for his crimes against humanity.

Rep. Paulina Luna: Dr. “Mengele” Fauci may be protected by a federal pardon but that does not hold against state prosecution and civil lawsuits.

I am calling on the great Attorneys General and Governors of FL, TX, WV, and AR to bring charges against Fauci for crimes against children in exposing them to a vaccine that has now been PROVEN to hurt people. He is and will go down in history as one of the darkest souls who has ever been in federal government.

There is NO JUSTICE unless he is held responsible for the crimes HE committed against HUMANITY.

Of course, Democrats on Wednesday continued to defend Dr. Fauci knowing that his many lies and actions resulted in the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Americans.

Dr. “Mengele” Fauci may be protected by a federal pardon but that does not hold against state prosecution and civil lawsuits.

I am calling on the great Attorneys General and Governors of FL, TX, WV, and AR to bring charges against Fauci for crimes against children in exposing…

— Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (@RepLuna) July 29, 2026

The post BOOM! Rep. Paulina Luna Calls on State AGs to Bring Charges Against Dr. “Mengele” Fauci for Crimes Against Humanity (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) has leveled one of the most loathsome Democrat politicians in America after he tried to run interference with Dr. Anthony Fauci.

As The Gateway Pundit’s Jim Hoft reported, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the former NIAID director and face of America’s disastrous COVID response, finally appeared under subpoena Wednesday morning before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, which Paul chairs.

The hearing, titled “Testimony of Anthony Fauci,” began at 8:30 a.m. ET on July 29 in Room SD-342 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building, according to the official committee notice.

Unsurprisingly, Fauci REFUSED to testify, pleading the 5th Amendment out of the gate. He knows he won’t get another pardon if he gets caught lying AGAIN, considering that Trump is now the President.

During the hearing, after Senator Paul finished his questioning, Fauci’s grandstanding attorney decided to take over.

Paul told him he was unrecognized and must remain silent. The attorney would not listen, and Paul had him tossed from the room!

The entire hearing room erupted in applause afterward.

Right after Fauci’s attorney was hauled out of the room, Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) started whining about how ‘cruelly’ the wicked doctor was being treated, accusing Paul of orchestrating a vendetta.

“(This should not be) part of a continuing vendetta against a single individual,” Blumenthal whined. “And unfortunately, I think this is what we are seeing here today.

“America deserves better.”

But Paul jumped in to give the former Connecticut Attorney General a simple constitutional lesson: In no courtroom in America can you have your witness plead the 5th Amendment, but your attorney gets to testify.

Did Blumenthal cheat on the bar exam in addition to lying about serving in Vietnam?

WATCH:

NOW: Sen. Rand Paul just mic dropped insufferable Sen. Blumenthal (D) for complaining about Fauci’s lawyer being EJECTED from the hearing

“In NO courtroom in America can you have your witness plead the 5th Amendment then your attorney gets to testify!”

“That’s what that… pic.twitter.com/KoKsr0iw6K

— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) July 29, 2026

BLUMENTHAL: (This should not be) part of a continuing vendetta against a single individual. And unfortunately, I think this is what we are seeing here today.

America deserves better.

PAUL: In no courtroom in America can you have your witness plead the 5th Amendment then your attorney gets to testify.

That’s what that letter is, the attorneys complaining and testifying saying ‘he didn’t do it, the prosecution’s unfair.’ You don’t get to do that.

That’s one thing you give up when you take the Fifth Amendment.

You say, I’m not going to testify. I’m not going to give you any information. You don’t then get to put your lawyer forward to justify it!”

“He can do it in the press, but you can’t come and testify. He was not invited to testify and he was out of order and it was appropriate to have him ejected.

The post WATCH: Rand Paul SCHOOLS Richard Blumenthal With an Important Legal Lesson After Dem Senator Whines About Paul Ejecting Fauci’s Attorney From Hearing appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

In a fiery interview during Wednesday’s Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee hearing, Sen. Tommy Tuberville unloaded on Dr. Anthony Fauci, demanding the former NIAID director be arrested and imprisoned on the spot for his role in the COVID-19 pandemic response.

Sen. Tuberville made the comments during an appearance on Newsmax from Capitol Hill.

“He should be locked up before he leaves this building today and put in prison and then put on trial in front of the American people!” Tuberville declared. “We lost 20,000-30,000 people in Alabama alone, and I hope every damn one of them sues this Dr. Fauci and puts him in court. If we can’t put him in prison, lets put him in court every day for the rest of his life where he has to be punished and listen to the death he caused!”

Tuberville later added, “He killed people!”

WATCH:

JUST IN: An angry Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) says Dr. Fauci needs to be ARRESTED and LOCKED UP before he even leaves Capitol Hill today

“He should be LOCKED UP before he leaves this BUILDING today, put in prison and put on trial! We lost 20,000-30,000 in Alabama ALONE, and… pic.twitter.com/4TjukC9vd2

— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) July 29, 2026

Tuberville noted that people are still dying because of Fauci’s actions.

The hearing, chaired by Sen. Rand Paul, is ongoing at the time of publishing and has been extremely contentious.

Paul had released more than 1,100 pages of Fauci’s personal diary notes from late 2019 through 2022 in the days leading up to the hearing.

Those entries covered Fauci’s private thoughts on virus origins, his public profile, interactions with the Trump administration, lockdowns, and other matters.

The private writings deeply contradict Fauci’s public statements.

Fauci, the former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, appeared with multiple attorneys.

In his opening statement, Fauci accused Paul of an “unhinged obsession” and claimed the hearing’s sole purpose was to try to get him to say something that would put him “behind bars.” He then repeatedly invoked the Fifth Amendment, declining to answer questions on the advice of counsel.

Chaos erupted early when one of Fauci’s attorneys, David Schertler, repeatedly interrupted proceedings and insisted on sitting at the witness table despite instructions to sit behind.

Paul warned him multiple times, “You are not recognized… If you are unruly, you will be removed… Another word and you’re gone.”

When Schertler continued, Paul ordered Capitol Police to eject him from the room.

Gallery members applauded.

Paul noted for the record that Fauci still had the advice of his remaining half-dozen lawyers.

Ranking Member Sen. Gary Peters, a Democrat, objected and said he wanted to hear the attorney, but Paul insisted the testimony was from Fauci alone.

Throughout the hearing, Fauci declined to answer questions on gain-of-function research, Wuhan lab funding and oversight, the Proximal Origin paper, lockdowns, school closures, vaccines, and other topics.

Republicans noted the Biden autopen pardon does not shield against lying to Congress or certain state-level actions.

The post Sen. Tommy Tuberville Explodes at Fauci Hearing: ‘He Should Be LOCKED UP Before He Leaves This Building Today… He KILLED PEOPLE!’ (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

Senator Rand Paul on Wednesday announced the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee will hold a vote to hold Dr. Anthony Fauci in contempt for refusing to answer any questions during the hearing.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the former NIAID director and face of America’s disastrous COVID response, finally appeared under subpoena Wednesday morning before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.

After enjoying his celebrity status and appearing on all of the networks during the Covid pandemic, all of a sudden Fauci doesn’t want to talk.

Dr. Fauci invoked the Fifth Amendment in his opening statement in front of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee on his actions that led to the COVID pandemic and his many lies told to the American public.

Fauci destroyed lives and crushed countless businesses during the Covid pandemic.

People died alone because of Fauci’s Covid policies and now he believes he doesn’t have to answer for his actions despite having a BLANKET pardon.

Senator Paul said the Committee will vote on a resolution to hold Dr. Fauci in contempt for pleading the Fifth Amendment more than 80 times despite having blanket immunity.

“Because you refuse to answer citing a privilege that is unsupported because of your pardon and after being denied to do so, this committee has scheduled to vote next week on a resolution certifying your contempt,” Rand Paul told Fauci.

WATCH:

After the hearing, Rand Paul went off on Fauci for unlawful use of the Fifth Amendment.

“This has probably never been tested legally. If you’ve been granted complete immunity…do you still need Fifth Amendment protections, or do they apply?” Senator Paul said.

“All you had to do today was tell the truth!” Rand Paul told reporters.

“If he testified and told the truth, even if he admitted to destroying thousands of records, which we think happened, there’s no penalty that attaches, it would just be the truth,” Rand Paul said.

“I think the courts will have to figure out whether or not if you have a complete pardon, whether you have a liability against discrimination,” Rand Paul said.

Senator Joni Ernst told Fox News that Fauci pleaded the Fifth Amendment 111 times.

The post BREAKING: Rand Paul Announces Vote to Hold Dr. Fauci in Contempt of Congress (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.