Authored by Guy Birchall via The Epoch Times,Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) said on July 29 that it had charged Telegram founder Pavel Durov with facilitating terrorist activities and issued an international warrant for his arrest. The Epoch Times contacted Durov and Telegram for comment but did not receive a response by the time of publication. Telegram's official X account posted an image of Durov making an obscene gesture shortly after the arrest warrant was announced on July 29. At the time, Durov said his app remains committed to freedom of speech and user privacy "no matter the pressure." Third-party compiled data estimates there are around 35 million Telegram users in Russia - one of the largest national user bases globally.