Verdict against Russian human rights activist Oleg Orlov confirmed

According to the Society for Threatened Peoples (STP), the confirmation of the verdict against Russian human rights activist Oleg Orlov in today’s appeal proceedings before the district court in Moscow is to be seen as further evidence that the judiciary has completely subordinated itself to Putin’s regime.

 “Today’s hearing at the district court in Moscow was, as expected, just another act in the political show trial against one of the most important Russian human rights advocates. Oleg Orlov was unlawfully detained, and he must be released immediately,” stated Sarah Reinke, head of human rights work at the Society for Threatened Peoples (STP). On February 27, 2024, Orlov was sentenced to two and a half years in prison for protesting against the war and for criticizing the Russian government. He is a co-founder of the well-known human rights organization Memorial.

In his final statement, Orlov described the Russian judiciary citing a witness at the Nuremberg trials, testifying against leading representatives of the Nazi regime: “They distorted, perverted, and finally achieved the complete destruction of law and order in the state. They made the judicial system an integral part of the dictatorship. They abolished any semblance of judicial independence.” According to Orlov, this quote could have come from any of the current political prisoners in Russia.

In Russia, more than 3,000 people are currently facing court proceedings for political reasons, and more than 1,000 people are in jail for political reasons – including well-known prisoners such as Vladimir Kara-Murza and Oleg Orlov. Members of minorities and indigenous peoples make up a particularly high proportion of political prisoners. 

Further, around 14,000 Ukrainian civilians are currently locked up in Russian prisons. In Crimea alone, 205 people were convicted on political grounds, 134 of them members of the Crimean Tatar minority.