Charov Eduard Aleksandrovich

In the Sverdlovsk region, at the end of January 2024, a criminal case was opened against 51-year-old priest Eduard Charov for justifying terrorism. On January 31, officers from the Center E from Yekaterinburg conducted a search at the non-denominational Christian Mercy Monastery (almshouse) in the village of Savinovo, Krasnoufimsky District, Sverdlovsk Oblast, and confiscated a tablet from the priest. A search was also conducted in the home of Charov's wife, Inna Vladimirovna. According to Inna Vladimirovna, the reason for the criminal prosecution was a "sarcastic comment" about the arsonist of the military enlistment office in Polevskoy: "Posthumously award the Order of Courage with confiscation of property. The court chose a ban on certain actions as a measure of restraint for Charov: the priest was prohibited from communicating with witnesses in the case, receiving and sending correspondence, as well as using communication means, including the internet. In May 2024, a second criminal case was opened against Charov for repeated 'discrediting of the army'. The reason for the criminal prosecution was a post that did not mention the army. On May 23, 2024, a criminal case was initiated in the city of Krasnouralsk, Sverdlovsk Oblast, for repeated "discrediting of the army" against Christian preacher, non-Pentecostal Eduard Charov. The reason for the criminal prosecution was a repost on VKontakte of a picture about patriotism, which the preacher made on September 3, 2023: "A patriot is someone who wants to make their country better, the people richer, and the authorities more honest and fair. And not the one who justifies poverty and corruption with imaginary greatness and spiritual bonds. The expert considered that the publication contained 'signs of persuading the addressee of the negative nature of the goals of the Russian state bodies exercising their powers, that is, their discrediting.' "Earlier, in April 2023, the Krasnoufimsky City Court of the Sverdlovsk Region twice fined Charov in a case of an administrative offense under the article on "discrediting the army" due to anti-war posts on VKontakte." Charov was not assigned a measure of restraint.