04:57, 17 February 2024

Human rights defenders assess risks of imprisonment of their colleague Oleg Orlov*

Oleg Orlov*. Photo: https://memohrc.org/ (included into the register of foreign agents)

Tightening of the charges against Oleg Orlov* after a re-investigation into the case on discrediting the Russian Armed Forces has increased the chances of the prosecutor’s office to achieve imprisonment for the defendant, a lawyer and human rights defenders note.

The “Caucasian Knot” has reported that in Moscow, a court begun re-considering the criminal case against Oleg Orlov*, the co-chair of the “Memorial” Centre for Defence of Human Rights. Several dozen people came to support the human rights defender.

On October 11, 2023, the Golovinsky District Court sentenced Oleg Orlov* to a fine of 150,000 roubles, finding him guilty of discrediting the Russian Armed Forces. The prosecutor’s office requested the court to sentence the defendant to three years of imprisonment. The court of appeal returned the case for re-investigation, and the motives of hatred and enmity were added to the charges.

The resumption of the trial in the case against Oleg Orlov* is not justified by law, believes advocate Marina Agaltsova. According to her, investigators have now created “great risks” for Oleg Orlov*. “The new indictment points to the motive of ‘inciting hatred against the Russian military personnel,” the advocate explained.

The new trial is more dangerous in terms of expected verdict against Oleg Orlov*, agrees human rights defender Alexander Verkhovsky*. He emphasizes that the new charge states the motive of discrediting the Russian Army, which significantly changes the position of Oleg Orlov*. “The main conflict is whether the judge will agree with the presence of a motive of hatred in the case against Oleg Orlov*,” concluded human rights defender Alexander Verkhovsky*.

Let us remind you that the reason for the accusation has been an article by Oleg Orlov*, which condemns the special military operation (SMO) in Ukraine.

*Included by the Russian Ministry of Justice (MoJ) into the register of foreign agents.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on February 16, 2024 at 12:45 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.

Source: СK correspondent