러시아 인권 옹호자, 5년 동안 수감돼 – 국제앰네스티 한국지부
러시아 인권 옹호자, 5년 동안 수감돼
러시아출신 인권 옹호자가 절도 및 강도 혐의로 5년 형을 선고 받았다. 이번 판결이 그의 인권 옹호 활동과 연관되어 있는지에 대한 의혹이 제기되고 있다.
알렉세이 소코로프(Aleksei Sokolov) 는인권활동가로 법 집행 기구에 의한 고문과 부패에 맞서 캠페인을 벌여왔으며, 13 일 스베드로스크(Sverdlosk) 지방의 보그다노비치 (Bogdanovich)의 법원에서 5년 형을 선고받았다. 그는 엄중 경비 교도소에 수감될 예정이다.
국제앰네스티 안드리아 후버(Andrea Huber) 유럽 부국장은 “알렉세이 소코로프는 러시아 교도소 내 고문과 부당한 대우 문제를 다뤄왔으며, 그의 활동으로 교도소와 경찰에 대한 수사가 전개됐었다”며 “만약 이번 판결이 그의 인권활동을 목표로 한 것이라면, 소코로프는 양심수로 지목될 것”이라고 밝혔다.
Russianhuman rightsdefender jailed forfive years
A Russian humanrights defender hasbeen jailed for fiveyears on charges oftheft and robberyamid fears that hemay have beentargeted for hishuman rights work.
Aleksei Sokolov, ahuman rightsactivist who hascampaigned againstalleged torture andcorruption in lawenforcementagencies, wassentenced by thecourt inBogdanovich, in theSverdlosk Region ofRussia, on Thursday.
The court found himnot guilty ofanother theftcharge. The sentenceis to be served in ahigh security penalcolony.
“Aleksei Sokolov wasvery active intaking up cases oftorture and otherill-treatment inRussian prisons,repeatedly resultingin investigationsagainst prison andpolice officers. Hemay have beentargeted solely forhis human rightswork,” said AndreaHuber, Deputy EuropeDirector at AmnestyInternational.
“If so then thiswould make him aprisoner ofconscience.”
Aleksei Sokolov, wasoriginally detainedin May 2009 arrestedand charged with therobbery allegedlycommitted inBogdanovich in 2004.When in July 2009the SverdlovskRegional Courtordered that heshould be dischargeduntil his trial,instead of beingreleased, the policetold him that he wasthen arrested onsuspicion of anotherrobbery committed in2004. Laterprosecution addedcharges of theft ofmetal pipes from afactory in 2001. Thecourt clearedAleksei Sokolov ofthe second 2004robbery charges.
Aleksei Sokolov’slawyers said therehave been a seriesof violations ofcriminal procedurein the handling ofAleksei Sokolov’scase. He is going toappeal against theverdict.
According to hislawyers, the courtbased its verdictsolely on thestatements of theco-accused in thiscase who are alreadyserving prisonsentences for othercrimes.
Aleksei Sokolov isfounder and head ofthe Russian humanrights organizationPravovaia Osnova(Legal Base) whichcampaigns againsttorture and otherill-treatment ofdetainees in theRussian Federation.
Legal Base broughtabout severalinvestigationsagainst lawenforcement officerson allegationsincluding the use oftorture to coercesuspects to”confess.”
Aleksei Sokolov roseto prominence afterhe publicized anddistributed a filmabout torture andother ill-treatmentin a temporaryholding centre inYekaterinburg. Thefilm which receivedinternationalattention, led tothe closure of thecentre.
He has alsoinvestigatedpossible corruptionin somelaw-enforcementagencies inYekaterinburg: someofficials, accordingto his findings, hadhelped to cover upcrimes in thetemporary holdingcentre inYekaterinburg.
In 2008 AlekseiSokolov wasappointed a memberof the PublicCommission for thecontrol of places ofdetention andconducted a seriesof visits to placesof detention in thiscapacity. He wassuspended from thisposition followinghis detention in May2009.
In 2008 he learnedthat severalprisoners were beingpressured intoclaiming falselythat he had beeninvolved in crimesincluding the 2004robbery, onsuspicion of whichhe has been incustody since 13 May2009.
Investigations intothe theft in 2001and the robbery in2004 had been closedseveral timesbecause theperpetrators couldnot be identified,but were re-openedshortly beforeAleksei Sokolov’sarrest. In the caseof the secondrobbery he wascharged with, thereis an existing courtjudgment convictingseveral people andthe case had beenofficially closed.It was alsore-opened daysbefore AlekseiSokolov was chargedwith it.