Trial against Oleg Orlov under dark auspices

The Society for Threatened Peoples (STP) is deeply concerned about today’s trial against Oleg Orlov in Moscow. The proceedings are expected to conclude next Monday. “Oleg Orlov’s situation is becoming more and more dangerous, and a conviction is becoming more likely. Together with the organization Memorial, we are demanding him to be acquitted,” stated STP expert Nora Erdmann today, Wednesday, in Berlin.

The proceedings against Orlov – co-founder of the human rights organization Memorial, which was honored with the Nobel Peace Prize in 2022 – had started on June 8, 2023. The internationally esteemed human rights advocate was initially found guilty of “discrediting the Russian army”, and he was sentenced to a fine. He appealed against this verdict in order to obtain an acquittal. However, the public prosecutor’s office lodged an appeal as well, based on a more serious charge: “Now, Orlov is accused of ‘political and ideological hatred against the Russian Federation’, and the aim is to achieve a prison sentence. Thus, the 70-year old might be facing 3 years in jail – and his colleagues fear that there is more to come,” Erdmann warned. Detention in a Russian prison camp could mean murder in installments – as in the case of Alexei Navalny. The recent death of the opposition politician has made this clear. In Russia, political prisoners are effectively hostages of Putin’s regime. They are subjected to arbitrariness and torture, and they are not granted basic human rights.” Oleg Orlov has rejected the allegations against him as absurd, invoking his constitutional rights.

The appeal proceedings began on February 16, 2024, the day on which Navalny’s death – which Orlov described as murder – was made public. Shortly before the new trial, Orlov had also been added to the list of foreign agents. He himself explained: “It is unclear to me how I should defend myself under such conditions. It is impossible for me to bring witnesses or experts to court who could provide further proof of my innocence or present additional evidence. Unfortunately, the risks for those who speak out in my defense are very real already. I cannot and will not increase these risks. Therefore, I will not request any more witnesses or experts who could provide evidence to be heard in court. Also, I forbid my defense to do so.”

Attached: STP and Memorial Deutschland protest on February 20, 2024, Fotos: Nora Erdmann/GfbV

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