Director of Moscow’s Ukrainian library faces charges of embezzlement

The director of the Library of Ukrainian Literature in Moscow, Natalya Sharina, has been charged with embezzlement.

According to Ms Sharina’s lawyer, Ivan Pavlov, she is accused of using library funds to pay her legal fees.

“Today Sharina has officially been charged under Section 4, Article 160 of the Criminal Code [embezzlement]”, Mr Pavlov stated on Tuesday.

Armed police raided the library in late October 2015 and Ms Sharina was arrested on suspicion of inciting extremism and ethnic hatred. She is currently being held under house arrest, which will expire on 28 April. The library has since been shut down.

Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry has released a formal complaint, while Human Rights Watch has also called upon the Russian authorities to release Ms Sharina.

Source: Moscow Times and Ukraine Today