The Gomel Regional Court in Belarus "sentenced" Ukrainian citizen Natalia Zakharenko to nine years in prison on charges of "espionage". This was reported by the Belarusian service of Radio Liberty, citing its own sources. This information was also confirmed by Natalia's acquaintances from Chernihiv region, UNN reports.
The reason for the woman's "accusation" remains unknown, as the trial was held in camera. Along with Zakharenko, her friend, Belarusian citizen Larysa Krupa, was "convicted" of failing to report a crime and fined four thousand Belarusian rubles ($1,222), and the court also decided to confiscate Zakharenko's minibus.
In July 2023, Natalia Zakharenko disappeared on her way to Mozyr, where her sister lived. After the start of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, she regularly traveled from Chernihiv to Mozyr via Poland, transporting various items, people and pets for residents of Belarus and Ukraine.
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