Margarita Kharenko, a volunteer of the Ukrainian Volunteer Service from Melitopol, was sentenced to 20 years in prison at the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
On January 9, 2023, Russians abducted the woman from her home in Melitopol. On April 4, 2024, the press service of the Southern District Military Court in Russian Rostov reported on the trial and sentencing under Article 282 of the Russian Criminal Code “extremism and terrorism”.
In this regard, the Ukrainian Volunteer Service released an official statement regarding the illegal imprisonment of Ukrainian volunteer Margarita Kharenko. It says that Margarita was kidnapped and unlawfully convicted for her pro-Ukrainian position and volunteer activities in the temporarily occupied Melitopol without the possibility of proper defense.
“We can suspect how trials in Russia are conducted against Ukrainian citizens. This is a phenomenon devoid of justice and humanity. This is another public crime against Ukrainian citizens, our freedom, language and the right to active citizenship,” the organization said in a statement.
Unfortunately, such cases are not rare. Therefore, if you have any information about missing and abducted civilians in Melitopol and Melitopol district, please call: +380980636147 @Call_centre_vykradeni https://t.me/vykradeni_melitopol
Or share information about the crimes of the occupiers or their accomplices here.