Human rights defender Mr Alexei Sokolov has been the subject of intimidation and attacks whilst in pre-trial detention. Alexei Sokolov is the chairman of the NGO Pravovaja osnova (Legal Foundation) which defends prisoners’ rights and throughout his career, he has repeatedly denounced the use of torture by the Russian police. He is also a member of a civic supervisory committee on places of detention appointed by the Russian Parliament. Front Line previously raised his case on 7 August 2009.

Further Information

On 18 January 2010, Alexei Sokolov was transferred from the pre-trial facility in Kamyshov to the prison in Sukhoy Log where the hearing in his case was to start the following day. While being transported in the prison vehicle together with approximately six other prisoners, Evgeny Beliash, one of the convicts who had named Alexei Sokolov as an accomplice in the crime for which they were both subsequently charged, told him you were warned but you continue not to understand. Furthermore, when Alexei Sokolov was getting out of the vehicle, Evgeny Beliash charged at him and kicked him in the head. Alexei Sokolov was transferred to the prison hospital where the doctor later confirmed that he was not suffering from concussion. However, due to his poor state of health following this incident, as well as the fact that one of his lawyers could not attend the hearing of 19 January 2010, the hearing was subsequently postponed until 26 January 2010.

A few days prior to this incident, a new prisoner named Golovin was put in the same cell as Alexei Sokolov in the pre-trial facility in Kamyshov. The new cellmate made clear attempts to provoke Alexei Sokolov and on 17 January, he attacked him by throwing boiling water on him. The cellmate then tried to initiate a fight with him. The prisons guards did not intervene.

Alexei Sokolov's wife, Gusel, has also been victimised recently. On 6 January 2010, her handbag was illegally searched and a SIM card and camera were taken from it, while she was visiting her husband in prison. She was then detained in a room with barred windows for one and a half hours before three prison employees tried to force her to sign a document attesting that she had committed an administrative violation. They explained to her that only after she signed would she be allowed to see her husband. However, Gusel Sokolov refused to do so.

Alexei Sokolov was originally arrested on 13 May 2009 in relation to a 2004 robbery at the “UralTermoSvar” industrial base during which welding equipment and a cable were stolen. The following day, the Verkh-Isetsky Court in Yekaterinburg authorised Alexei Sokolov’s detention for 10 days. However, he was subsequently held in detention until 31 July 2009, when the Sverdlovsk regional court ruled to overturn the decision to remand him in custody. Despite that decision he was not released since new charges of robbery under Article 162, Part 4 of the Criminal Code, were filed on the same day as the Sverdlovsk regional court ruling, concerning the theft of a safe containing two million roubles from a Yekaterinburg business company in 2004.

On 4 August 2009, the Leninsky District Court of Yekaterinburg heard the new charges and extended Alexei Sokolov's pre-trial detention for two months. The pre-trial detention was again extended by the same court on 29 September 2009 until 23 October 2009, and on 21 October 2009 until 6 November 2009. However, since 6 November 2009, no measure has been taken to release Alexei Sokolov. At the beginning of December 2009, Russian Ombudsman Mr Vladimir Lukine came to Ekaterinburg where he planned to visit Alexei Sokolov and some other detainees. However, two days before his visit, Alexei Sokolov was sent to pre-trial detention center N4 in Kamyshov, 150 km away from Ekaterinburg. Mr Lukine made a public statement in which he considered the pre-trial detention of Alexei Sokolov as unnecessary.

Front Line believes that the acts of intimidation and attacks against Alexei Sokolov, as well as the new charges which have been brought against him, are directly related to his work in defence of human rights, particularly the rights of prisoners in Russia. Front Line is deeply concerned that these new charges may be an attempt to curtail his work and to intimidate other human rights defenders in the region. Front Line fears for the physical and psychological integrity of Alexei Sokolov whilst in detention.