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Ukrainian Library Director Goes On Trial In Moscow


Natalya Sharina, the director of Moscow's Ukrainian Literature Library, attends a court hearing in Moscow on November 2.
Natalya Sharina, the director of Moscow's Ukrainian Literature Library, attends a court hearing in Moscow on November 2.

The trial of the director of Moscow's Ukrainian Literature Library kicked off in the Russian capital on November 2.

Natalya Sharina pleaded not guilty to charges of extremism and embezzlement.

Sharina was detained last October and charged with inciting extremism and ethnic hatred because her library's collection allegedly included books by Ukrainian ultranationalist and author Dmytro Korchynskiy, whose works are banned in Russia.

She was placed under house arrest.

In April, investigators charged Sharina with misallocating library funds, allegedly because she used library funds to pay for her legal defense in another extremism case against her that was dismissed in 2013.

Her lawyer said the authorities had "trumped up" new charges after realizing their initial case against his client was too weak.

Sharina has rejected all the allegations against her, saying they are politically motivated.

RFE/RL has been declared an "undesirable organization" by the Russian government.

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