Russian Human Rights Activist Oleg Orlov Loses Appeal Against Imprisonment for Criticizing Ukraine War

Oleg Orlov, a Russian human rights campaigner, has lost his appeal against his imprisonment for criticizing the war in Ukraine. On Thursday, a judge at the Moscow city court ruled that Orlov’s two and a half year sentence, handed down in February, should remain unchanged. Orlov, the 71-year-old co-chair of the now-banned rights group Memorial, which won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2022, was convicted of discrediting the Russian army after he criticized the war in a French media article, accusing President Vladimir Putin of leading the country into fascism.

Speaking via videolink from prison in Syzran, about 750 km (470 miles) from Moscow, Orlov told the packed courtroom that he had “no remorse or regrets.” He stated, “I am in the right place at the right time. When there is mass repression in the country, I am there alongside those who are persecuted, and in this way, I help,” before the sound was cut from his video feed. Orlov also quoted a prosecutor from the Nuremberg trials to describe Russia’s judicial system, saying they distorted and destroyed justice, making it an integral part of the dictatorship. “These words can be uttered now by any Russian political prisoner,” he added.

Orlov was convicted of discrediting the Russian armed forces under strict military censorship laws, following a column he wrote for French news outlet Mediapart, where he described Russia as a “fascist” state and pointed to the mass killing of civilians in Ukraine. The Kremlin denies targeting civilians, calling its actions a “special military operation.” Orlov’s lawyer, Katerina Tetrukhina, argued for his immediate release, asserting that the prosecution failed to prove he harbored “ideological hostility” towards Russia’s “traditional values.” She emphasized that Orlov did not harm anyone and that an elderly man with no previous convictions should not be separated from his wife. His supporters are concerned about his health, and his defense team has filed complaints about the conditions of his detention, which they say amount to cruel and degrading treatment. Orlov is a key figure in Memorial, a significant pillar of Russian civil society, which has campaigned against rights abuses in modern Russia, focusing particularly on the volatile North Caucasus region. The organization was disbanded by Russia in late 2021 amid a crackdown on dissenters, opposition groups, independent media, and NGOs.