Kharchenko Vadim Mikhaylovich

5 December 2024, a new criminal case for defamation was initiated against local blogger Vadim Kharchenko in the city of Gelendzhik, Krasnodar Krai. The details of the charges are unknown. It is known that lawyer Yaroslav Krasnoschyokov, who had previously been a victim in a similar accusation of Kharcheko for defamation, is a victim in the case. Krasnoschyokov is also known as the lawyer of "golden judge" Natalya Khakhalieva and the arrested vice-mayor of Gelendzhik Pavel Blinov. On December 7, 2024, the Gelendzhik City Court chose a measure of restraint for Kharchenko in the form of detention. In Gelendzhik, Krasnodar Krai, a criminal case was opened in February 2023 for repeated 'discrediting of the army' against blogger Vadim Kharchenko. The initial reason for Kharcheko's persecution was a video titled "Is Kherson surrendered?" Who is to blame? Russian troops are leaving Kherson. Shoigu, Surovikin, Stremousov, Saldö" on the YouTube channel "Personal Opinion. Later, three episodes of repeated discrediting of the army, four episodes of slander combined with accusing a person of committing a crime against sexual inviolability and sexual freedom of the individual or a serious or particularly serious crime, one episode of calls for extremism on the Internet, and one episode of insulting the feelings of believers were added to the charges. As a measure of restraint, the court appointed Kharchenko a ban on certain actions. The prosecution appealed the measure of restraint, citing the fact that Kharchenko violated the ban on leaving Gelendzhik. On February 20, 2023, the Gelendzhik City Court of the Krasnodar Territory sent Kharchenko under house arrest. The prosecution again appealed the measure of restraint, and on July 10, 2024, the Krasnodar Regional Court granted the investigation's complaint and chose a measure of restraint for Kharchenko in the form of detention in a remand prison. On December 5, 2024, Kharchenko's maximum detention period expired. On the same day, Judge Olga Shutkina of the Gelendzhik City Court replaced Kharchenko's detention with a ban on certain actions. She announced her decision at 16:30. After that, the blogger was supposed to be released, but he remained in the cage in the courtroom, and at 16:50 he was handcuffed and taken out of the courtroom. It turned out that a new criminal case of libel had been brought against him, and he was detained again. 12 March 2025, the Gelendzhik City Court of the Krasnodar Territory found Vadim Kharchenko guilty and sentenced him to 7 years in a general regime colony and a 3-year ban on administering internet resources. On July 10, 2025, the Krasnodar Regional Court left the verdict unchanged.