14 December 2023, 22:07
Verdict to rights defender Oleg Orlov cancelled
The court has agreed with the prosecutor and decided to overturn the sentence of human rights defender Oleg Orlov.
The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that a court in Moscow is considering an appeal against Orlov's sentence. The prosecutor has waived his claims contained in the appeal submission, explaining that the case files contain no Orlov's motive; he has demanded to cancel verdict and return the case to the Prosecutor's Office (PO). The defence has demanded that Orlov be acquitted.
On October 11, the Golovinsky District Court of Moscow sentenced Orlov to a fine of 150,000 roubles, finding him guilty of discrediting the Russian Army. The defence claimed that the article about discrediting the army was contrary to the Russian Constitution and the international law. On October 26, Oleg Orlov, a co-chairman of the Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial"*, and his defence filed a complaint against the verdict. In its turn, the PO also challenged the court's ruling, demanding that the fine be replaced with three years of freedom deprivation, since Oleg Orlov "experiences ideological hatred of the Russian Federation and undermines the stability of the civil society."
The Moscow City Court has decided to return the case to the Tver Inter-District PO. The freedom restriction measure in the form of a recognizance not to leave the place remains in force, the "Memorial" Centre for Human Rights Defence has clarified in its Telegram channel.
*On December 29, 2021, by the decision of the Moscow City Court, the Russian legal entities of the "International Memorial" and the Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial" were liquidated. Activists of the organizations have reported that both organizations will continue their work without forming legal entities.
This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on December 14, 2023 at 12:41 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.
Source: Caucasian Knot
