{"id":62932,"date":"2026-02-10T14:17:00","date_gmt":"2026-02-10T11:17:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/memopzk.org\/news\/my-schitaem-politzaklyuchyonnym-alekseya-sokolova-2\/"},"modified":"2026-07-27T12:55:06","modified_gmt":"2026-07-27T09:55:06","slug":"aleksei-sokolov-is-a-political-prisoner","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/memopzk.org\/en\/news\/aleksei-sokolov-is-a-political-prisoner\/","title":{"rendered":"Aleksei Sokolov is a political prisoner"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The human rights activist from Yekaterinburg has once again been remanded in custody; this time on a charge of treason for defending prisoners\u2019 rights<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The \u2018Political Prisoners. Memorial\u2019 human rights project, in accordance with<\/strong> international standards<\/strong><\/a>, considers Aleksei Sokolov a political prisoner. Sokolov is being prosecuted on a charge of treason for collecting and publicising information about human rights violations in the Federal Penitentiary Service. Aleksei Sokolov\u2019s prosecution violates his right to a fair trial. We demand the immediate release of Aleksei Sokolov, that all criminal charges against him be dropped, and that those responsible for the torturous conditions of his detention on remand be held to account.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Who is Aleksei Sokolov and what are the charges against him?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Aleksei Sokolov is a well-known human rights defender who works on prisoners\u2019 rights. He heads Legal Basis, an NGO, and is the author of a documentary film about torture in the Federal Penitentiary Service (FSIN). In 2010, Sokolov was sentenced to a term of imprisonment on trumped-up charges of theft and robbery. In 2024, a criminal case<\/a> was brought against Sokolov for repeatedly displaying extremist symbols (Article 282.4, Part 1, of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation) for a Facebook logo published on the Ural Human Rights Defenders<\/em> Telegram channel. He was remanded in custody for six months, then released on bail. In both the first<\/a> and the second<\/a> cases, we recognised Sokolov as a political prisoner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On 16 December 2025, searches were carried out at the homes of Sokolov and his fellow human rights defenders, Roman Kachanov and Larisa Zakharova<\/a>. According to media reports, Z-blogger Yekaterina Ipatova (Saprykina) had appealed to the head of the Investigative Committee, Aleksandr Bastrykin, alleging that the human rights defenders had received grants from organisations designated as \u2018undesirable\u2019 to \u2018influence the Russian penal system\u2019 and \u2018must answer for treason against the Motherland.\u2019 On 18 December, a court in closed hearing remanded Sokolov in custody on a charge of treason (Article 275 CC RF). According to Sokolov, he was accused of disclosing information about torture and human rights violations within the Federal Penitentiary Service to \u2018foreign organisations,\u2019 something which \u2018threatens state security.\u2019 If convicted, Sokolov faces life imprisonment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

On 3 July 2026, Aleksei Sokolov was sentenced to 2 years of compulsory labour in a correctional centre, with 15% of his salary to be withheld by the state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the remand prison, Sokolov is being held in permanent solitary confinement in torturous conditions of cold and damp, and his health is deteriorating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why do we consider Aleksei Sokolov a political prisoner?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We do not know the details of Sokolov\u2019s criminal case. However, according to available information, the human rights defender has been charged with treason for \u2018providing assistance to a foreign state in activities directed against the security of the Russian Federation.\u2019 The investigative authorities likely consider such assistance to be Sokolov\u2019s public disclosure of information regarding violations of the law in remand prisons and penal colonies. It is, in fact, the violation of citizens\u2019 rights in places of detention that threatens state security, not the reporting of such violations, whether to international or other organisations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We believe that this latest criminal case against Aleksei Sokolov, initiated against him based on a denunciation, is retaliation for his work in defending prisoners\u2019 rights and his uncompromising stance on torture and abuses within the Federal Penitentiary Service. The fact that the court proceedings on the selection of pre-trial conditions were held in camera in violation of the law also indicates that the prosecution is politically motivated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A detailed description of Aleksei Sokolov\u2019s case and of our position is available on our website<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How can you help?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can write to Aleksei Sokolov at the following address:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

RU:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u0420\u043e\u0441\u0441\u0438\u0439\u0441\u043a\u0430\u044f \u0424\u0435\u0434\u0435\u0440\u0430\u0446\u0438\u044f, 620019, \u0433. \u0415\u043a\u0430\u0442\u0435\u0440\u0438\u043d\u0431\u0443\u0440\u0433, \u0443\u043b. \u0420\u0435\u043f\u0438\u043d\u0430, \u0434. 4, \u0424\u041a\u0423 \u0421\u0418\u0417\u041e-1 \u0413\u0423\u0424\u0421\u0418\u041d \u0420\u043e\u0441\u0441\u0438\u0438 \u043f\u043e \u0421\u0432\u0435\u0440\u0434\u043b\u043e\u0432\u0441\u043a\u043e\u0439 \u043e\u0431\u043b\u0430\u0441\u0442\u0438, \u0421\u043e\u043a\u043e\u043b\u043e\u0432 \u0410\u043b\u0435\u043a\u0441\u0435\u0439 \u0412\u0435\u043d\u0438\u0430\u043c\u0438\u043d\u043e\u0432\u0438\u0447, 1973 \u0433. \u0440. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

EN:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Aleksei Veniaminovich Sokolov (born 1973), Remand Prison No. 1, Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia for Sverdlovsk Oblast, 4 Repina Street, Yekaterinburg, Sverdlovsk Oblast, 620019, Russia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can also send emails via <\/a>ZT<\/a> (for payment with all bank cards) and Memorial-France<\/a> (free of charge).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Please note that letters in languages other than Russian are highly unlikely to reach the intended recipient.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can donate<\/a> to help all political prisoners in Russia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"template":"","class_list":["post-62932","news","type-news","status-publish","hentry","regions-sverdlovsk-oblast","news-type-press-releases"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nAleksei Sokolov is a political prisoner - Political prisoners support. Memorial<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The human rights activist from Yekaterinburg has once again been remanded in custody; this time on a charge of treason for defending prisoners\u2019 rights\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/memopzk.org\/en\/news\/aleksei-sokolov-is-a-political-prisoner\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Aleksei Sokolov is a political prisoner - Political prisoners support. Memorial\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The human rights activist from Yekaterinburg has once again been remanded in custody; this time on a charge of treason for defending prisoners\u2019 rights\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/memopzk.org\/en\/news\/aleksei-sokolov-is-a-political-prisoner\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Political prisoners support. Memorial\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-07-27T09:55:06+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/memopzk.org\/en\/news\/aleksei-sokolov-is-a-political-prisoner\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/memopzk.org\/en\/news\/aleksei-sokolov-is-a-political-prisoner\/\",\"name\":\"Aleksei Sokolov is a political prisoner - Political prisoners support. Memorial\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/memopzk.org\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2026-02-10T11:17:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-07-27T09:55:06+00:00\",\"description\":\"The human rights activist from Yekaterinburg has once again been remanded in custody; this time on a charge of treason for defending prisoners\u2019 rights\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/memopzk.org\/en\/news\/aleksei-sokolov-is-a-political-prisoner\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/memopzk.org\/en\/news\/aleksei-sokolov-is-a-political-prisoner\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/memopzk.org\/en\/news\/aleksei-sokolov-is-a-political-prisoner\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"\u0413\u043b\u0430\u0432\u043d\u0430\u044f \u0441\u0442\u0440\u0430\u043d\u0438\u0446\u0430\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/memopzk.org\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"\u041d\u043e\u0432\u043e\u0441\u0442\u0438\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/memopzk.org\/news\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"Aleksei Sokolov is a political prisoner\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/memopzk.org\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/memopzk.org\/\",\"name\":\"\u041f\u043e\u0434\u0434\u0435\u0440\u0436\u043a\u0430 \u043f\u043e\u043b\u0438\u0442\u0437\u0430\u043a\u043b\u044e\u0447\u0451\u043d\u043d\u044b\u0445. \u041c\u0435\u043c\u043e\u0440\u0438\u0430\u043b\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/memopzk.org\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Aleksei Sokolov is a political prisoner - Political prisoners support. Memorial","description":"The human rights activist from Yekaterinburg has once again been remanded in custody; this time on a charge of treason for defending prisoners\u2019 rights","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/memopzk.org\/en\/news\/aleksei-sokolov-is-a-political-prisoner\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Aleksei Sokolov is a political prisoner - Political prisoners support. Memorial","og_description":"The human rights activist from Yekaterinburg has once again been remanded in custody; this time on a charge of treason for defending prisoners\u2019 rights","og_url":"https:\/\/memopzk.org\/en\/news\/aleksei-sokolov-is-a-political-prisoner\/","og_site_name":"Political prisoners support. Memorial","article_modified_time":"2026-07-27T09:55:06+00:00","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/memopzk.org\/en\/news\/aleksei-sokolov-is-a-political-prisoner\/","url":"https:\/\/memopzk.org\/en\/news\/aleksei-sokolov-is-a-political-prisoner\/","name":"Aleksei Sokolov is a political prisoner - Political prisoners support. Memorial","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/memopzk.org\/#website"},"datePublished":"2026-02-10T11:17:00+00:00","dateModified":"2026-07-27T09:55:06+00:00","description":"The human rights activist from Yekaterinburg has once again been remanded in custody; this time on a charge of treason for defending prisoners\u2019 rights","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/memopzk.org\/en\/news\/aleksei-sokolov-is-a-political-prisoner\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/memopzk.org\/en\/news\/aleksei-sokolov-is-a-political-prisoner\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/memopzk.org\/en\/news\/aleksei-sokolov-is-a-political-prisoner\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"\u0413\u043b\u0430\u0432\u043d\u0430\u044f \u0441\u0442\u0440\u0430\u043d\u0438\u0446\u0430","item":"https:\/\/memopzk.org\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"\u041d\u043e\u0432\u043e\u0441\u0442\u0438","item":"https:\/\/memopzk.org\/news\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Aleksei Sokolov is a political prisoner"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/memopzk.org\/#website","url":"https:\/\/memopzk.org\/","name":"\u041f\u043e\u0434\u0434\u0435\u0440\u0436\u043a\u0430 \u043f\u043e\u043b\u0438\u0442\u0437\u0430\u043a\u043b\u044e\u0447\u0451\u043d\u043d\u044b\u0445. \u041c\u0435\u043c\u043e\u0440\u0438\u0430\u043b","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/memopzk.org\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/memopzk.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/62932","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/memopzk.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/memopzk.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/news"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/memopzk.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=62932"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}