Human rights defender from Ural faces criminal charges for displaying Facebook logo

A human rights defender, Alexey Sokolov, was detained in Yekaterinburg and accused of repeatedly demonstrating prohibited symbols (Part 1 of Article 282.4 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation), as reported by the human rights project Net Freedoms on July 5.

The criminal case stems from the Facebook logo published on the Telegram channel 'Ural Human Rights Defenders.' In 2023, Alexey Sokolov became the first person to be arrested under an administrative article for displaying the social network’s logo.

The order to initiate the criminal case also mentions "unreliable information of public significance" that Sokolov allegedly spread on the same Telegram channel to "defame the penal system."

Sokolov's house was searched on July 5. A video of his arrest was shared by the 'URALLIVE' channel. In the video, law enforcement officers pin Sokolov to the floor and ask about his position in the "criminal world."

The measure of restraint for Sokolov will be decided on July 6. Until then, he will remain in pre-trial detention.

The house of another human rights defender, Larisa Zakharova, was also searched on July 5. She has been named a witness in the criminal case.

Original

*The text mentions Meta Platforms Inc., an organization whose activities are prohibited in the Russian Federation