Russian human rights defender Aleksei Sokolov is at risk of torture or other ill-treatment. He is currently held in a remand centre in Novosibirsk, Western Siberia, where he has allegedly been beaten by prison guards. In the coming days he is due to be transferred to a prison in the Krasnoyarsk region of Siberia, thousands of kilometres from his home. He remains at risk of further torture and ill-treatment.
Aleksei Sokolov, the head of a Russian human rights organization, was sentenced to five years' imprisonment in May 2010 for theft and robbery. His sentence, which was imposed after a trial held with several reported violations of fair trial standards, was reduced to three years' imprisonment on appeal. His lawyers are planning a further appeal. Amnesty International is concerned that Aleksei Sokolov may be a prisoner of conscience, targeted for his human rights work.
According to his lawyers, Aleksei Sokolov has been ordered to serve his sentence in Krasnoyarsk, more than 2,000 kilometres from the city of Yekaterinburg, where he lives and where he has been held until 25 August. On 26 August, he was transferred to the FGU IZ-54/1 remand centre in Novosibirsk, located between Yekaterinburg and Krasnoyarsk. Local sources have reported to Amnesty International that shortly after his arrival in Novosibirsk, he was beaten up by prison guards and that he has also been placed in solitary confinement for several hours. Amnesty International is concerned that Aleksei Sokolov could face similar treatment in Krasnoyarsk.
Amnesty International is concerned that sending Aleksei Sokolov to serve his sentence far from his home does not comply with international human rights standards requiring that prisoners should serve their sentence close to their home whenever possible, in particular to allow for family visits. Aleksei Sokolov’s transfer to Krasnoyarsk prison colony also makes communication with his lawyers more difficult, which might violate his right to receive a fair hearing of his intended second appeal. The decision to send him to Krasnoyarsk was allegedly given in a special directive from the Russian Prison Service received by the prison authorities in Yekaterinburg shortly after his sentence was reduced on appeal.
For further information, please see: Russian Federation: Further information: Russian human rights defender beaten: Aleksei Sokolov (EUR 46/031/2010), September 2010.
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