Russian presidential Human Rights Council Chairman Mikhail Fedotov sees the prosecution of Natalya Sharina, the director of the Library of Ukrainian Literature, as absurd and draws parallels between this case and the Stalin era.

"I can say about my position as the Human Rights Council head. We didn't hold any voting on this issue. But I see this whole story as disgusting," Fedotov said at a press conference at the Interfax main office on Thursday.

"If all the library director is guilty of is that a book from the register of extremist materials was found in the library, such a charge is simply absurd," Fedotov said.

"Just imagine that this book was found not in a library but at a factory. Who's to be arrested? The factory director? A foreman? This is what they would've done in 1937. Not only would they have arrested him but also shot him. But it's not 1937 now," Fedotov said.