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Viewing cable 09YEKATERINBURG55, UPDATE ON THE ARREST OF ANDREY SOKOLOV

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
09YEKATERINBURG55 2009-08-10 10:21 2011-08-24 01:00 UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY Consulate Yekaterinburg
VZCZCXRO8584
PP RUEHLN RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHYG #0055 2221021
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P R 101021Z AUG 09
FM AMCONSUL YEKATERINBURG
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1351
INFO RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW 0996
RUEHLN/AMCONSUL ST PETERSBURG 0587
RUEHVK/AMCONSUL VLADIVOSTOK 0597
RUEHYG/AMCONSUL YEKATERINBURG 1388
UNCLAS YEKATERINBURG 000055 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DRL FOR S. CORKE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PHUM SOCI RS
SUBJECT: UPDATE ON THE ARREST OF ANDREY SOKOLOV 
 
REF: A. A) YEKAT 30 
     B. B) YEKAT 54 
 
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED.  NOT FOR INTERNET DISTRIBUTION. 
 
1. (U) This is an action request for DRL.  See paragraph 5. 
 
2. (SBU) Pol/Econ officer met with the lawyer representing 
arrested prisoners' rights activist Alexey Sokolov (see ref A) 
on August 5 for an update on the case.  The court allowed 
Sokolov's release on bail on July 31 but he was rearrested the 
same day on suspicion of participation in the theft of petroleum 
products from an oil pipeline in 2004.  Both crimes were 
allegedly committed by the same criminal group, of which Sokolov 
was allegedly a member.  All other members of the group have 
already been convicted and cases involving Sokolov were closed 
in 2005.  Sokolov assured his lawyer that he is not being 
mistreated and has enough to eat.  With this latest detention, 
however, he is not allowed to read newspapers or magazines. 
Further hearings in the case will probably not be scheduled 
until the end of August. 
 
3. (SBU) Law enforcement officers informed Sokolov's lawyer 
unofficially that there may be 22 additional cases in which 
Sokolov could be implicated.  The information on these cases was 
received from a witness currently serving jail time.  A second 
witness against Sokolov was found hung in his jail cell in June. 
 The lawyer told us that charges in the additional cases against 
Sokolov, who previously served a seven-year sentence, were 
dismissed in 2004-2005; Sokolov's lawyer is convinced that his 
client's activity in defense of prisoners' rights has made him 
the target of law enforcement agencies.  There is speculation 
that the harassment of Sokolov is being instigated at the 
federal level.  We were told that Sokolov's activism angered an 
LDPR State Duma deputy who is head of the duma Federal Security 
Committee.  The Urals region PolPred office is also said to 
support the police against Sokolov, although the prosecutor 
reportedly was ready to free Sokolov on bail. 
 
4. (SBU) Since 2008 Sokolov has been a member of the Sverdlovsk 
Regional Committee for Public Observance of Human Rights in 
Penitentiaries.  Regional committees were created by the Russian 
Federation Public Chamber.  The committees have unrestricted 
access to penitentiaries and may visit detention centers without 
prior notification.  Incrimination of a committee member results 
in the suspension of the member; upon being charged with a 
crime, Sokolov lost access to penitentiaries, a possible motive 
to keep him in custody.  Another member of the Sverdlovsk 
Committee, Dmitry Rogozhin, has also been accused of a crime; 
although he has not yet been arrested, he is not allowed to 
leave the country. 
 
5. (U) Action Request:  Sokolov's modest income from his Legal 
Basis NGO was the family's sole income.  His wife Gulya and 
two-year-old daughter are now in difficult circumstances. 
Although Sutyazhnik and Za Prava Chelovyeka NGOs have opened a 
bank account for public donations for legal defense and to 
support Sokolov's family, donations are not exactly pouring in. 
At the same time, the case requires more sophisticated legal 
assistance as new "confessions" and accusations emerge.  Post 
requests DRL assistance in applying for a Human Rights Defenders 
Fund grant to help support Sokolov's family and legal defense. 
Post point of contact is Pol/Econ officer Carol Trimble 
(trimblec@state.gov). 
 
SANDUSKY