Eduard Charov
Eduard Charov, born 1971, Sverdlovsk Oblast. Charges: Article 205.2 part 2, Russian Criminal Code (Public incitement to terrorism or justification of terrorism (using media or the internet)); Article 280.3 part 1, Russian Criminal Code (Discrediting the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, government agencies, or mercenaries); “Eduard Charov's case of public justification of terrorism”. Status: at large.
In brief
Sverdlovsk Oblast · NULL · Religious figures · Anti-war cases, Terrorism cases
Sentence
No information about a verdict.
Preventive measure: ban on certain activities
Charges
- Article 205.2 part 2, Russian Criminal Code — Public incitement to terrorism or justification of terrorism (using media or the internet)
- Article 280.3 part 1, Russian Criminal Code — Discrediting the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, government agencies, or mercenaries
Full wording of the charges
The case of public justification of terrorism was initiated due to a comment saying “Award the Order of Courage” under a VKontakte post reporting that a resident of Polevskoy had thrown a Molotov cocktail at the local military recruitment office. The case of discrediting the Armed Forces was initiated over the repost of a shortened version of an address by PMC Wagner’s leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin, which he published before the June 2023 mutiny. In the posted excerpt, Prigozhin accused the Ministry of Defence of lying, claiming the ministry tried to “deceive the public and the president,” and that the war in Ukraine was waged only “so a bunch of scoundrels could gain publicity,” while the Defence Minister Sergey Shoigu was promoted to marshal. In April 2023, Charov was fined 45,000 rubles under the administrative offense of discrediting the army (Article 20.3.3 of the Code of Administrative Offenses) over a social media post that, among other things, mentioned Chechen fighters.
Latest event
May 13, 2024 — added to the rosfinmonitoring list of “terrorists and extremists”
Timeline
· Added to the Rosfinmonitoring list of “terrorists and extremists”
· Persecution begins
Eduard Charov's case of public justification of terrorism
· Preventive measure: ban on certain activities
Criminal case
Eduard Charov's case of public justification of terrorism
- Case number
- 2-182/2025
Thematic group: Anti-war case
Details and sources
Full summary
A resident of the village of Savinovo (Sverdlovsk region) and a supporter of the Neo-Pentecostal movement. In April 2023, he was fined 65,000 rubles for anti-war publications and criticism of the authorities: 45,000 rubles under the administrative offense of discrediting the Russian army (Article 20.3.3 of the Code of Administrative Offenses) and an additional 20,000 rubles under the article on inciting hatred or hostility (Article 20.3.1 of the Code of Administrative Offenses).
On January 31, 2024, a search was conducted at the homeless and elderly shelter "For Christ’s Sake," founded by Charov. In autumn 2022, the priest had invited “conscripts who fled mobilization” to the shelter. Charov was charged with publicly justifying terrorism, reportedly over a joke about an attempt to set fire to a military recruitment office. A preventive measure banning certain actions was imposed on him.
In June 2024, it became known that Charov was also charged with discrediting the Armed Forces. The cases were merged. The discrediting charge is related to his repost of a shortened video message by Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of the Wagner PMC. In the video, Prigozhin accused the Ministry of Defence of lying and claimed the war in Ukraine was waged only “so a bunch of scoundrels could gain publicity,” and that the Defence Minister was awarded the rank of marshal.
All fields of the record
- Citizenship
- Russia
Other people prosecuted under Article 205.2 part 2, Russian Criminal Code
Under the same article, not necessarily in the same case.