PO demands tougher punishment for human rights defender Oleg Orlov

The Prosecutor's Office (PO) has appealed against the verdict passed to human rights defender, Oleg Orlov, who was fined on charges of discrediting the Russian Army, and demanded to sentence him to three years in colony.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on October 11, the Golovinsky District Court of Moscow sentenced Oleg Orlov, a co-chairman of the "Memorial" Centre for Human Rights Defence, to a fine of 150,000 roubles. At the same time, the prosecutor asked the court to fine Orlov by 250,000 roubles, and his defence stated that the article of the Criminal Code about discrediting the Russian Army was contrary to the Russian Constitution and the international law.

On October 26, Orlov and his defence filed a complaint against the court verdict, the above "Memorial" Centre reported in its Telegram channel.

"The PO has also challenged the verdict. They demand to sentence Orlov to three years of freedom deprivation – this is the maximum punishment under the article under which he is being tried," the outlet says.

The PO has justified the change in its position by saying that Orlov experiences political and ideological hatred of the Russian Federation, and also, together with the "Memorial", continues undermining the stability of the civil society.

Oleg Orlov has treated the PO's appeal presentation as "an act of self-exposure." "Now no one can doubt that this trial was and continues to be of a political nature. I am being prosecuted for my dissent," he has noted.

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