A Moscow court has sentenced a veteran human rights advocate to two years and six months in prison for speaking out against the war in Ukraine. Oleg Orlov, 70, was found guilty of 'repeatedly discrediting' the Russian army in an article denouncing the invasion of Ukraine. Orlov, co-chairman of the Nobel Peace Prize-winning human rights group Memorial, has dismissed the charges as politically motivated.
Orlov's conviction marks a harsh crackdown on dissent in Russia, with the prosecution seeking a more severe punishment despite an earlier fine imposed on him. The prosecution alleged that Orlov's article was driven by hostility towards Russian values and the military.
