Blogger Vadim Kharchenko* from Gelendzhik taken into custody

The Krasnodar Territorial Court arrested blogger Vadim Kharchenko* charged in a case on public calls for extremism and discrediting the Russian Armed Forces.

The “Caucasian Knot” has reported that on February 20, 2023, acquaintances of Vadim Kharchenko* expressed their fear for his life and noted that the blogger had not been in contact for two weeks. On March 1, it became known that Vadim Kharchenko* was under investigation in a criminal case on discrediting the Russian Armed Forces for posting a video in a YouTube channel.

The court chose a pre-trial restriction measure against Vadim Kharchenko* in the form of a ban on certain actions. However, a public prosecutor and victims requested the court to toughen the pre-trial restriction measure for Vadim Kharchenko*, referring to the fact that the defendant violated the ban on leaving Gelendzhik. The city court placed Vadim Kharchenko* under house arrest, and the court of appeal decided on an even tougher pre-trial restriction measure in the form of detention in a SIZO (pre-trial prison), the “Kommersant” reported.

*Included by the Russian Ministry of Justice (MoJ) into the register of foreign agents.