Sentencing of human rights defender Orlov* shows return to totalitarian justice

The verdict passed to Oleg Orlov*, a co-chairman of the "Memorial" Human Rights Defence Centre, for his statements contradicts the Constitution and Russia's international covenants; it is evidence of the abolition of the freedom of speech in Russia, human rights defenders have pointed out. Orlov* himself has treated the verdict as confirmation of Russia's return to totalitarianism.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that the court had sentenced Orlov* to 2.5 years of freedom deprivation, finding him guilty of discrediting the Russian Army.

"They're killers," Svetlana Gannushkina*, the chair of the "Civic Assistance" Committee*, has expressed her attitude towards the verdict. But, according to her version, Orlov* has won this fight.

This is not the first punishment for a word, but Orlov's* case is the most striking, Yan Rachinsky, a human rights defender, has stated. "It has now been demonstrated with absolute clarity: only an opinion that pleases authorities is acceptable. This is a bad forecast for Russia," he has concluded.

Maxim Kruglov, a Moscow City Duma Deputy and the leader of the "Yabloko" faction in the regional parliament believes that the aim of the severe sentence was to punish Orlov* himself and put pressure on human rights defenders.

Tatiana Kasatkina, Oleg Orlov's* wife, has noted the rapidity of the investigation and trial.

Marina Agaltsova, a lawyer, has treated the sentence as quite severe. "The maximum penalty under this article is three years of freedom deprivation," she has noted.

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