Oleg Orlov* declares his intention to continue human rights activities in Southern Russia

Oleg Orlov*, a human rights defender, who was taken away from Russia as part of a prisoner exchange with Western countries, has stated that his human rights activities in the regions of the North-Caucasian and Southern Federal Districts (NCFD and SFD) were the reason for his staying in Russia despite his criminal prosecution. He has added that he will continue defending human rights in Southern Russia remotely.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that Oleg Orlov*, a co-chairman of the "Memorial" Centre for Human Rights Defence (CHRD)**, who was sentenced to 2.5 years in jail within the case of discrediting the Russian Army, was released on August 1 as part of a prisoner exchange operation with Western countries.

According to Orlov*, he would like to return to Russia to continue his human rights activities, but in the current reality this is impossible. He has noted that he received a clear warning from law enforcers that if he returned to the country, he would be taken into custody.

He has added that he would continue to work for the CHRD**, but would communicate with Russia remotely. Oleg Orlov* admits that difficulties in his work would arise due to the fact that he would be physically abroad. He believes that that those activists from Northern Caucasus and Southern Russia recognized as political prisoners could also be included into exchange lists in the future.

Let us remind you that since 1994, Orlov* had been working in the military conflict zone in Chechnya. Later, he and other human rights defenders paid much attention to the problem of kidnapping people in the Caucasus and victims among the civilian population of Chechnya and Ingushetia, and the protection of women's rights in the Caucasus.

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

**As reported on the website of the Ministry of Justice (MoJ), the reason for including on March 1, 2024, the unregistered "Memorial" Centre for Human Rights Defence (CHRD) into the roster of foreign agents was the spread of "inaccurate information aimed at creating a negative image of the Russian Federation, as well as the Russian Armed Forces."