Chairwoman Hautala has received with great concern the news that Aleksei Sokolov, renowned Russian human rights defender, has been unlawfully detained in Yekaterinburg, in Russia. Mr Sokolov has been in pre-trial detention since 13 May and despite that it was due to expire on 6 November, he remains in custody. The duration of the pre-trial detention was extended on several occasions by the Leninskii district court in Yekaterinburg and serious doubt remains that this is motivated by his activities in the human rights field. Chairwoman Hautala fears that Mr Sokolov now remains at urgent risk of torture and other kinds of abuse. Furthermore, she stressed that Mr Sokolov must be released immediately to wait for his trial and that his personal safety must be ensured.
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