Following the high profile cases of Mikhail Khodorkovsky, Sergei Magnitsky, and, most recently, Pussy Riot, the global human rights watchdog Amnesty International has stepped up its efforts to campaign on behalf of those facing false accusations and politically motivated prosecution by the Russian authorities.

Amnesty has recently come out in defense of Igor Kalyapin, a human rights activist who heads up a non-governmental organization dedicated to the prevention of torture in Russia’s prisons.  This month the Investigative Committee invited Mr. Kalyapin in for questioning for the third time, prompting Amnesty to circulate a petition calling for an end to the harassment.  Now it appears that those who have signed the petition are also being called in for questioning.

According to reports, Amnesty Russia head Sergei Nikitin says the official reason for these interviews of petition signatories are not clear.  Nikitin claims that the Investigative Committee’s conduct represents an act of intimidation:  “It is a form of the action against the people who express their civil position.”

The Investigative Committee has been questioning the people who signed the petition whether or not they have access to the internet, whether or not Kalyapin requested them to sign it, and if they are in direct contact with Kalyapin.

Kalyapin first attracted the attention of the authorities when working on the case of Islam Umarpashev, a Chechen citizen, in which he stands accused of releasing confidential information.