While there has been some improvement in recent years, conditions in Russian detention centres and treatment of prisoners continue to be below desirable standards, as the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s 2006 Human Rights Annual report noted in some detail.
In EU and bilateral human rights consultations with the Russian government, the UK regularly raises concerns about ongoing human rights violations, including individual cases. We note that Russian human rights ombudsman, Vladimir Lukin, has sent written representations to the Prosecutor-General’s Office and the Federal Penal Service about the case.