The co-chair of a Nobel-winning rights group in Russia gets 30 months in jail for criticizing war

The co-chair of Nobel Peace Prize-winning Memorial Human Rights Centre Oleg Orlov stands surrounded by journalists prior to a court session for a new trial on charges of repeatedly discrediting theRussian military, in Moscow, Russia,

A Moscow court sentenced Oleg Orlov, a 70-year-old veteran human rights advocate who spoke against the war in Ukraine, to two years and six months in prison on Tuesday.

Orlov was convicted of "repeatedly discrediting" the Russian army in an article denouncing the invasion of Ukraine. He dismissed the case as politically motivated, stating in his closing statement, "I don’t regret anything and I don’t repent anything."

Following the verdict, Orlov was immediately taken into custody from the courtroom, marking the end of a retrial where he was initially fined. This retrial was prompted by a prosecution appeal seeking a harsher punishment, emphasizing the government's intolerance for criticism of the invasion of Ukraine.

The prosecution argued that Orlov, co-chairman of the Nobel Peace Prize-winning human rights group Memorial, published the article out of hostility towards "traditional Russian spiritual, moral, and patriotic values"

and animosity towards the Russian military.

Oleg Orlov

Memorial condemned Orlov's sentence as an attempt to silence the human rights movement in Russia and vowed to persist in its work. The verdict drew support from dozens of individuals, including 18 Western diplomats.

US Ambassador to Moscow Lynne Tracy expressed alarm over the outcome, highlighting Orlov's decades-long advocacy for Russian rights. Despite previous recognition for his efforts, Orlov now faces imprisonment in today's Russia for his convictions.

In a separate incident on Tuesday, a court in Grozny sentenced Nikita Zhuravel to 3 1/2 years in prison for burning a Quran publicly. Zhuravel allegedly confessed to doing so at the behest of Ukrainian special services in exchange for payment.

The day also marked the ninth anniversary of the assassination of Boris Nemtsov, a prominent Russian opposition figure. Nemtsov's killing, along with the recent death of opposition leader Alexei Navalny in a penal colony, underscores the challenges faced by dissenters in Russia. An officer from Chechnya’s security forces was sentenced to 20 years for Nemtsov's murder, with four others receiving sentences ranging from 11 to 19 years for their involvement.