Chair of Nobel-winning rights group jailed in Russia over criticism of war in Ukraine

Oleg Orlov was taken directly to jail from the courtroom

The co-chair of Nobel Peace Prize winning Memorial Human Rights Centre Oleg Orlov sits in a courtroom (Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

A Russian human rights advocate who spoke out against the war in Ukraine has been sentenced to two years and six months in prison by a court in Moscow.

Oleg Orlov was taken directly to jail from the courtroom.

The 70-year-old was convicted of “repeatedly discrediting” the Russian army in an article he wrote denouncing the invasion of Ukraine. He had rejected the case against him as politically motivated.

The prosecution had demanded on Monday that he be sentenced to two years and 11 months in prison.

The verdict concluded a retrial after Orlov was earlier ordered to pay a fine.

Underlining how little tolerance President Vladimir Putin’s government has for criticism of its invasion of Ukraine, the prosecution appealed over the penalty, seeking a harsher punishment.

The prosecution claimed that Orlov, co-chairman of the Nobel Peace Prize-winning human rights group Memorial, published the article motivated by hostility “against traditional Russian spiritual, moral and patriotic values” and hatred of the Russian military, independent Russian news outlet Mediazona said on Tuesday.