Blogger Kharchenko* to appeal against his verdict

Vadim Kharchenko*, a blogger from Gelendzhik, who was sentenced to seven years of imprisonment, intends to file an appeal against the verdict.

The “Caucasian Knot” has reported that on March 12, a court found Vadim Kharchenko* guilty under four criminal articles, among them on repeated discrediting of the Russian Armed Forces, public insult to the feelings of believers, defamation, and calls for extremism.

“Vadim Kharchenko* suffered from sinusitis. After the verdict was pronounced, he looked very depressed,” reported his advocate Natalia Fedorenko.

Natalia and Mikhail Kharchenko, the blogger’s parents, also stated that their son’s health state had deteriorated and his chronic diseases had worsened. The parents are proud of their son and do not consider him a criminal.

Natalia Kharchenko believes that her son is losing his health in custody. “My son suffers from sinusitis and asthma, and he is a III group disabled person. His illnesses are on the list of illnesses that do not allow a person to be taken into custody. But he is in custody. There is no one to treat him there,” the blogger’s mother stated.

The parents of Vadim Kharchenko* have expressed their hope that the court of appeal will cancel their son’s sentence as unlawful.

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