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Moscow's Ukrainian Literature Library Employees Subjected to Home-Searches

Investigative Committee officers have searched the homes of employees of Moscow's Library of Ukrainian Literature, Interfax news agency reported Monday.

Early on Monday morning, searches were conducted at the homes of Anna Pavlenko and Tatyana Muntyan, lawyer Ivan Pavlov said, Interfax reported.

Pavlenko and Muntyan are witnesses in the criminal case opened against library director Natalya Sharina, according to Pavlov, a lawyer for Sharina.

As well as a library employee, Anna Pavlenko is Natalya Sharina's daughter, Ekho Moskvy radio reported.

The Investigative Committee said the searches were performed as a part of an inquiry into a fraud case, Interfax reported.

Two days after police raided the Moscow-based Library of Ukrainian Literature, Natalya Sharina was placed under house arrest on Oct. 30, having been accused of “inciting hatred.”

According to the Investigative Committee's official statement, Sharina broke the law by distributing books by nationalist-leaning Ukrainian politician Dmitro Korchinsky among library visitors in 2011-15. Some of Korchinsky's books have been declared extremist in Russia and banned.

Sharina's case is currently being treated as the case of particular importance by investigators, the RIA Novosti news agency reported Monday.

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