Russian newswire Polit.ru reported that the Russian Presidential Human Rights Council is preparing to meet with President Vladimir Putin on September 4 where they are keen to discuss individual prisoner cases. 

When asked about the agenda for the meeting, former judge and member of the Presidential Human Rights Council, Sergei Pashin said that it was to discuss the work of the judiciary, the treatment of people in custody and the case of Mikhail Khodorkovsky. “We have collected facts which show there is little humanity in the criminal law today, merely the illusion of it” – said Pashin. 

Mara Polyakova, another member of the Presidential Human Rights Council, added: “during the meeting with Putin, if the opportunity arises, some specific cases will be mentioned – such as ‘The May 6 Bolotnaya case’, ‘the case of Alexei Navalny’, and other cases.” 

The head of the Presidential Human Rights Council, Mikhail Fedotov, confirmed that individual cases would be raised, claiming that there were “show cases and there are standard cases”, and that these prominent cases must be discussed with the head of the State.