Russia: Conviction of librarian for extremist books demonstrates utter contempt for rule of law
"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, said Amnesty International today.
"Natalya Sharina was found guilty of ‘inciting hatred’ and ‘embezzlement’ and handed a four years suspended sentence by the Meshchansky District Court of Moscow. She was arrested in October 2015 after works by Ukrainian nationalist Dmytro Korchynsky were found in an unindexed pile of books in the library she headed. Korchynsky’s works are officially banned in Russia and the books were defined as ‘extremist’ and ‘anti-Russian propaganda’ by the prosecutor.
"“This highly politicized case runs totally counter to justice, and highlights serious flaws in the independence of Russia’s judiciary. Natalya Sharina should not have been prosecuted, still less convicted,” said Denis Krivosheev, Deputy Director for Europe and Central Asia at Amnesty International.
"“The prosecution has exploited the highly charged anti-Ukrainian atmosphere that is prevalent in Russia at the moment, while the court simply dismissed key evidence for the defence, including testimonies that police officers were seen planting the banned books at the library.”"
https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2017/06/russia-conviction-of-librarian-for-holding-extremist-books-demonstrates-utter-contempt-for-rule-of-law/
"A judge in a Moscow court gave her a four-year suspended sentence. She said she would appeal."
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"Speaking in court, Natalia Sharina, 59, said she was shocked, and insisted that the banned literature had been planted in the library by police.
"The state prosecutor admitted herself during the proceedings that this was a political case," she told reporters after the ruling.
"A librarian is such a good, peaceful profession. You sit there, reading books. So the fact that this is happening in the 21st century will probably be remembered in decades to come - like we remember the doctors plot and 1937," she said, referring to Stalin-era public show trials."
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-40162173