Volunteer Marharyta Kharenko is unlawfully held in a pre-trial detention centre in Novocherkassk
Marharyta Kharenko, a resident of temporarily occupied Melitopol, Zaporizhzhia Oblast, who was unlawfully sentenced by Russian occupation authorities to 20 years in prison on charges of “espionage”, is being held in Pre-trial Detention Centre No. 3 in Novocherkassk, Rostov region, Russia, her friend, Yelyzaveta, told ZMINA.
Marharyta KharenkoYelyzaveta said Marharyta has filed an appeal against the sentence in her case.
“She has a heart condition, so it is difficult for her, but she is holding on. She is kept in a cell designed for two people. The conditions are bearable. When she was held in Rostov, she shared the cell with 13 others, so she had to sleep on the floor“, Yelyzaveta said.
Her relatives can now send her parcels, and she can also order food and basic necessities from the prison shop.
On 9 January 2023, Russian forces abducted Marharyta Kharenko from her home in Melitopol. She was first held at Penal Facility No. 144 in Melitopol and later transferred to a pre-trial detention centre in Yakymivka settlement.
She was later charged under Part 2 of Article 282 of Russia’s Criminal Code, “extremism”.
On 30 March 2023, Russian authorities held a “court” hearing in Marharyta’s case but failed to substantiate the allegations against her due to a lack of evidence. However, she was not released and remained in unlawful detention.
Before the full-scale invasion, Marharyta worked as a pharmacist at a local pharmacy. She is also a member of the charity “Ukrainian Volunteer Service” and attends a Baptist church.
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In April 2024, the Southern District Military Court in Rostov-on-Don sentenced Kharenko and athlete Serhii Avramenko from Melitopol to 20 and 16 years’ imprisonment. They were accused of attempting to assassinate a Russian serviceman, while Marharyta was also charged with “espionage” and alleged membership of the organisation “SICH–C14”.
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