18:12, 30 July 2024

Blogger Vadim Kharchenko* from Gelendzhik taken into custody

Vadim Kharchenko. Screenshot of a video "Lichnoe Mnenie" (Personal Opinion) / YouTube

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 “Support for political prisoners. Memorial” human rights project recognized Vadim Kharchenko* as a political prisoner and demanded to release the blogger.

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.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on July 29, 2024 at 02:13 am MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.

Source: Caucasian Knot