For a hyperlink to Facebook*, a Yekaterinburg human rights defender faces four years in prison.
The investigation reports that human rights defender Alexey Sokolov published a banned symbol and links to a social network in the Telegram channel "Human Rights Defenders of the Urals." Photo: Alexey Sokolov. Screenshot from a YouTube video
Sokolov had his first court hearing today, December 1. The human rights defender said that he was beaten brutally during his detention and was advised to leave Russia:
"I will not leave anywhere and I am not afraid of anyone; I act within the law. I did not distribute these links; I am not a moderator of this channel. The last link was posted in March 2021; I bought the phone that was seized from me in December," 66.Ru quotes Sokolov as saying.
Sokolov says his criminal prosecution is revenge by the Federal Penitentiary Service (GUFSIN) for his human rights work. Searches were also carried out at the homes of his associates, including lawyer Larisa Zakharova and the human rights defender's son, Evgeny Sokolov.
A few days before his detention, the human rights defender had reported that officers at the Yekaterinburg correctional colony No. 10 had brutally beaten a 23-year-old inmate.
*belongs to Meta, whose activities have been designated extremist and banned in the Russian Federation.
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For a hyperlink to Facebook*, a Yekaterinburg human rights defender faces four years in prison.
Human rights activist Alexey Sokolov posted a banned symbol and links to a social network in the Telegram channel "Human Rights Defenders of the Urals," the investigation reports.