Rights defenders criticize Orlov's sentence

Oleg Orlov has treated the verdict handed down to him in the case of discrediting the Russian Army as unjust, pointing out that it violates the Russian Constitution and legal norms. The verdict is politically motivated, the board of the "Memorial" Centre for Human Rights Defence has stated.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that the advocate stated that there are contradictions in the article on discrediting the Russian Army, under which Oleg Orlov is being prosecuted. The court has sentenced Orlov to a fine of 150,000 roubles.

Oleg Orlov has named the activists sentenced to imprisonment on politically motivated charges in connection with the assessment of the special military operation (SMO) in Ukraine, the Telegram channel of the above "Memorial" Centre has informed. Orlov has emphasized that he will continue his main activities.

"So many people have been sentenced to long prison terms just for their words and for peaceful protests. These are the people we need to remember: Alexei Gorinov, Vladimir Kara-Murza, Ilya Yashin, Dmitry Ivanov, Alexander Skochilenko and many others," Orlov has stated. He is sure that the court's judgement was influenced by the great resonance of his case in the media.

Alexander Verkhovsky, the head of the SOVA Human Rights Centre*, said that when assessing the situation in Russia, there are many other unjust decisions that affect the image of Russia.

He has treated the lenient sentence as a success for the defence. At the same time, in his opinion, any sentence against a human rights defender is a negative phenomenon.

Marina Agaltsova, an advocate who worked on "Memorial"** cases, has treated the Orlov's sentence as "indicatively lenient." "It's not freedom deprivation. But in this case it was quite possible. A fine of 150,000 roubles is even less than the usual fine imposed on the 'Memorial'** for not being marked as a foreign agent," she has explained.

However, according to her version, the verdict passed to Oleg Orlov will affect Russia's rating.

Orlov's sentence is "a mockery of justice," the board of the "Memorial" Centre for Human Rights Defence has stated. Human rights defenders have noted that each new sentence for pacifist statements proves that the claims that in Russia "a person, his rights and freedoms are the highest value" are an empty phrase for the country's leadership.

*On August 17, 2023, the First Court of Appeal of General Jurisdiction approved the decision taken earlier in April by the Moscow City Court to liquidate the SOVA Human Rights Centre.

**On December 29, 2021, by the decision of the Moscow City Court, the Russian legal entities of the "International Memorial" and the Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial" were liquidated. Activists of the organizations have reported that both organizations will continue their work without forming legal entities.