Victory for human rights activist

Magistrate Karina Morozova, at a meeting in the magistrate's district of the Khamovnichesky Court on June 14, acquitted the chairman of the Memorial Human Rights Center Oleg Orlov, against whom a criminal case was opened for defamation of the head of the Chechen Republic Ramzan Kadyrov. Orlov said that Kadyrov was guilty of the murder of human rights activist Natalya Estemirova on July 15, 2009. The position of Orlov and his defender Henry Reznik at the trial was that the political responsibility of the head of the republic was meant for what was happening there; In addition, while declaring Kadyrov’s guilt, Orlov also referred to the statements of the Chechen leader that he had killed and would kill his enemies.

The court considered that the prosecution did not provide objective evidence of Orlov’s guilt. The prosecution believes that there was enough evidence.

Previously, the prosecution demanded that Orlov be sentenced to a fine of 150 thousand rubles. The representative of Kadyrov’s interests, Andrei Krasnenkov, insisted that Orlov should be imprisoned for three years. The criminal process was pursued by a civil one - then the court decided in favor of the head of Chechnya.