Valentin Kharlamov, a private detective from Voronezh, was detained due to a comment he made on social media. Law enforcement officers broke his rib but later released him as the statute of limitations for the criminal case had expired. Kharlamov described the incident on his VKontakte page on October 6.
Valentin Kharlamov, founder of the "Special Occasion" detective agency, was detained on October 4 on charges of "repeated discrediting of the army," which stemmed from a comment he made on social media in 2022. An expert interpreted the comment as "having a negative connotation."
Kharlamov wrote on VKontakte that his apartment was subjected to what he described as a "mask show with recorded apologies." Law enforcement officers confiscated his phones, tablets, and laptop.
"During a preventive discussion, I happened to fall several times, broke my glasses, tore my shirt, gave myself a black eye, and ended up with various bruises. When my wife saw me at home, she almost fainted, thinking I was a ghost," Kharlamov posted.
The "NOT POLITICS" Telegram channel clarified that Kharlamov was beaten by members of the "E" Center (Center for Combating Extremism). The detective said he was taken to an investigator, who asked if he was fine with closing the case due to the statute of limitations expiring — exactly two years after he posted the comment.
Kharlamov agreed to close the case and was released. The next morning, he struggled to get out of bed due to severe pain. Doctors diagnosed him with a fractured rib.
Kharlamov admitted he hadn’t expected law enforcement officers to treat him so harshly over a "goofy comment." He also mentioned that he had previously worked as a police operative and had been awarded a medal for "10 years of impeccable service."