A court handed down a verdict to Donetsk native Marina Zakharova, who headed the occupation election commission in the Kherson region.
This is stated in the relevant court verdict.
As the investigation established, in February 2023 Zakharova became a member of the illegal election commission of the Kherson region, and in March of the same year at a fake session she was elected head of this pseudo-body.
In this position Zakharova coordinated the work of election commissions and controlled the registration of candidates from Russian political parties.
Zakharova directly managed the organization and conduct of illegal elections to illegal local councils and the fake Kherson Regional Duma.
In addition, Zakharova ensured the organization and conduct of illegal elections for the President of the Russian Federation on the temporarily occupied territory of the Kherson region.
Her direct participation in organizing illegal electoral processes was proven using materials from propaganda media resources. The investigation recorded and examined video recordings of her appearances on the occupiers’ Telegram channels and public reports on the results of the sham votes.
Having examined the evidence, the court in absentia found Marina Zakharova guilty of collaborationist activity (part 5 of Article 111-1 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).
She was sentenced to 10 years in prison with confiscation of all property.
Marina Zakharova is originally from the Donetsk region. After 2014 she worked in the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy of the ‘DPR’ and in the administration of the head of the ‘DPR’.
In 2022 she found herself in the Kherson region and began taking positions in the occupation authorities.
Last year Volodymyr Saldo awarded Zakharova the Russian Order of Honor. Also last year she was subjected to sanctions by the United Kingdom and Switzerland.
In April 2024 she was in absentia given 10 years of imprisonment for collaborationism and for encroaching on the territorial integrity and inviolability of Ukraine.