Rev. EDUARD CHAROV, non-denominational Christian (Krasnoufimsky district, Sverdlovsk oblast, Russia)

A non-denominational Christian, rector of the Christian Abode of Mercy (Almshouse) in the village of Savinovo, Krasnoufimsky district, Sverdlovsk oblast.

Charov wrote anti-war posts on his social media, urged not to go to the military recruitment offices and invited conscripts who “escaped from the moGilization” [play of words: mogila means a grave in Russian] to his ‘Almshouse’ offering temporary shelter, food, and costs to travel to other cities. According to Charov, one of the reasons to avoid mobilization is the mandatory vaccination of the mobilized causing them to ”die spiritually.»

On 7 April 2023, citing a source in the power structures, the Kommersant newspaper reported that Charov had been detained. A protocol was drawn up against him under art. 20.3.3 of the Code of Administrative Offences (Public actions aimed at discrediting the use of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation).

The cases against the preacher were heard on 18 April 2023 by the Krasnoufimsky District Court of the Sverdlovsk oblast. The court fined Charov 45,000 rubles under the article on discrediting the Russian army (Part 1 of Article 20.3.3 of the Administrative Code) and another 20,000 rubles – under the article on inciting hatred or enmity (Article 20.3.1 of the Administrative Code).
At the beginning of 2024, according to Charov’s wife’s report, a criminal case was opened against Charov for justifying terrorism (Article 205.2 of the Criminal Code). On 31 January 2024, security forces searched the shelter for the homeless and elderly, For Christ’s Sake, founded by Charov in the village of Savinovo near Krasnoufimsk. A tablet was seized. Currently, the preacher is prohibited from certain activities, incl. the use of the phone and internet; he also cannot leave the Krasnoufimsky district without the investigator’s permission.

On 29 June 2024, it became known that Charov was charged with another criminal offence. A new case was opened on 23 May 2024 under the article on repeated discrediting of the army (Part 1 of Article 280.3 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). His wife, Inna Charova, told the 7×7 publication that the persecution was triggered by a repost not mentioning the Russian army or the war with Ukraine. It was published on 3 September 2023 and talks about the definition of patriotism.

In February 2025, the criminal case against Eduard Charov was submitted to the Central District Military Court.

On 14 April 2025, at the Central District Military Court in Yekaterinburg, Charov was formally charged with repeated “discrediting” of the Russian army and “justification of terrorism” for a comment he made on 14 August 2023: “Award him the Order of Courage.” The comment was posted under a VK post reporting that a resident of Polevskoy had thrown a Molotov cocktail at a local military enlistment office.

Eduard Charov has stated that the charges are fabricated. He explained that his comment was mocking “some drug addict who set fire to the draft office.”

In August 2025, the trial continued in the same court in Yekaterinburg. A schoolteacher, Elena Pronina, testified as a witness, claiming that Charov’s VK account contained publications “against the special military operation” and “against the president.” Charov contested this:

“I’m not against the special military operation itself — I’m against the methods of conducting it. That’s a slightly different thing. You see, here’s the nuance: I’m against the fact that a million Russian guys have already been killed, raped, maimed, or gone missing. I believe that with the money spent on the special military operation, we could have bought all of Ukraine and half of Europe to boot. But I have nothing against the destruction of Nazism itself.”