The journalist was sentenced to 3.5 years in prison for propaganda of the referendum

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Журналиста приговорили к 3,5 годам колонии за пропаганду проведения референдума

Journalist Alexander Sokolov was sentenced to 3.5 years in prison for extremism. What he proposed to do?

On Thursday 10 June the court has sentenced to 3,5 years of a colony of General regime, the special correspondent of RBC Alexander Sokolov, he was found guilty of involvement in a banned extremist organizations and the propaganda of the referendum.

Sokolov and three of his colleagues Valery Parfenov, Kirill Barabash and Yuri Mukhin, who have been in detention for two years, the court found guilty under article 282.2 extremist on it, and they face up to 10 years in prison. Mukhin was sentenced to 4 years probation. Guilty participants in the process do not recognize.

 

Who is Sokolov?

Alexander Sokolov is one of the main investigative reporters the old version of the media holding RBC. During his professional career, he has published many investigations about corruption in Russia, including materials on misappropriation of funds in the construction of the cosmodrome “East”, research on welfare and unemployment thousands of endangered cities in Russia, as well as the growing salaries of officials.

According to the testimony of the former chief editor of RBC Roman Badanin, during the investigation of corruption schemes on the magazine’s staff actively pressured, threatened and implied bribes.

Shortly before his arrest, Sokolov defended his thesis in Economics on corruption in Russia. Sokolov investigated the ineffective spending of state companies as Rosnano, Olympstroy, “rostekh” and “Rosatom”. According to the journalist, the Prosecutor’s office told him that the leadership of Rostec are unhappy with the content of the thesis.

The journalist several times the searches were: the first was held on 5 February 2014, a few days before the start of the Olympics in Sochi and at the time when the thesis was submitted for approval to Committee of the University.

Officially Sokolov condemned the registration of the website of the extremist organization.

 

Extremism and “army of the will of the people”

Sokolov and his three associates Valery Parfenov, Kirill Barabash and Yuri Mukhin was detained in July 2015, on suspicion of involvement in the organization “Initiative group for the referendum “For responsible government” (igpr “ZOV”).

Members of the group campaigned for changes to the Constitution and offered the Russians to evaluate the results of activities of the political elite. In case of dissatisfaction of the majority, the government would expect criminal liability. They also proposed to abolish the immunity of the officials.

According to the investigation, this group was associated with another organization – the “Army of the will of the people”, which in 2010 authorities found extremist for such calls to referendums and is also banned. Moreover, one of the defendants, Yuri Mukhin, was one of the founders of AVN and was previously sentenced to two years probation for calls for extremism using mass media.

According to investigators, the defendants did not stop the activities “of the Army”, and only changed the name of the organization. Moreover, the prosecution insists that the purpose of the organization was not a referendum, and the “dissemination of extremist ideas aimed at violent overthrow of constitutional order,” and the justification of terrorism and incitement to enmity and hatred.

 

On the protection of the journalist

Shortly before sentencing, 282 Russian journalists signed open letter in support of Sokolov and demanding his release. According to colleagues, the actions of Sokolov there is no criminal offence of which he is accused.

The human rights centre “memorial” recognized Sokolova and other three suspects in this case political prisoners. The center, like the falcons, believes that the charges related to his journalistic and academic activity. At the end of 2016 international organization “reporters without borders” also has urged the Russian government to release Sokolov immediately from custody.

The Commissioner for human rights in Russia Tatiana Moskalkova sent the General Prosecutor a request to check the legality of the charges and the extension of the arrest of Sokolov. The case of the investigative journalist is also engaged in the European court of human rights.

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