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Detention of Ukrainian Literature Library’s director not on Kremlin’s agenda — spokesman

The director of the Ukrainian Literature Library in Moscow, Natalya Sharina, was detained by the Investigations Committee of Wednesday after a search on the library premises and questioning
Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov Mikhail Metzel/TASS
Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov
© Mikhail Metzel/TASS

MOSCOW, October 29. /TASS/. The detention of the Ukrainian Literature Library’s director is not an issue on the Kremlin’s agenda, presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov has told the media in the wake of reports the library’s director Natalya Sharina was detained.

"That issue is not on the Kremlin’s agenda," he said.

According to a reliable source, whether the director of the Ukrainian Literature Library is enjoying the status of a budget-financed cultural institution, will be decided on October 30.

"A court of law is expected to consider the investigation’s arrest for remanding Sharina in custody on October 30," the source said, adding that investigative procedures were underway. The source said that about 200 books and other printed matter had been withdrawn from the library. "Many of them carry swastika emblems. The books will be presented to experts for scrutiny," the source said.

Earlier, Investigative Committee spokesman Vladimir Markin said that Sharina faced criminal charges for distributing books by Dmitro Korchinsky, recognized in Russia as extremist. The maximum punishment for this offence is five years in prison.

Korchinsky is a Ukrainian nationalist and member of the UNA-UNSD (Ukrainian National Assembly-Ukrainian Self-Defence). Several criminal investigations against him are in progress in Russia. One such case was opened in March 2014. Korchinsky is suspected of participation in fighting against Russian troops in Chechnya in 1994-1995 for the militant forces under notorious warlords Basayev and Khattab.

On November 17, 2014 Russia’s Supreme Court declared the Korchinsky-led party Brotherhood as terrorist and outlawed its operation in the territory of Russia.