The Ukrainian World Congress (UWC) condemns the conviction by the Meshchansky District Court of Moscow on 5 June 2017 of former Director of the Library of Ukrainian Literature in Moscow Nataliya Sharina to a four years’ suspended sentence on politically motivated charges.
Nataliya Sharina was arrested on 28 October 2015 following raids on the Library of Ukrainian Literature and her home, and accused of “inciting national enmity or hatred”. She has since remained under house arrest.
The renowned human rights organization Amnesty International reacted to this conviction with the following statement: “The conviction of Natalya Sharina, former Director of the state-run Library of Ukrainian Literature in Moscow, for holding ‘extremist books’ demonstrates utter contempt for the rule of law and highlights flaws in the independence of Russia’s judiciary.”
The Ukrainian World Congress appeals to the international community, including all Commissioners of human rights and human rights organizations, to take immediate action in response to this blatant violation of human rights and mockery of the rule of law and to protect the fundamental freedoms of all national minorities in the Russian Federation,” stated UWC President Eugene Czolij.
