Overview

• Oleg Orlov, a prominent Russian human rights campaigner and co-chair of the Nobel Peace Prize-winning group Memorial, has been sentenced to two and a half years in prison for discrediting the Russian armed forces.
• The sentencing marks a significant escalation in the Kremlin's crackdown on dissent, especially against critics of Russia's war in Ukraine.
• Orlov's trial and conviction have drawn international condemnation, with human rights organizations and Western diplomats decrying the proceedings as politically motivated.
• In his closing statement, Orlov criticized the Russian state's descent into totalitarianism and fascism, and condemned the recent death in prison of opposition leader Alexei Navalny.
• Memorial, the organization Orlov co-chairs, was banned in Russia in 2021 but continues to operate in exile, documenting human rights abuses and preserving the memory of victims of political repression.