Human rights activist Oleg Orlov was asked to serve almost three years in prison instead of a fine in the case of “discrediting” the army

During the debate in the Golovinsky Court of Moscow, the state prosecution asked that Memorial co-chairman Oleg Orlov be sentenced to two years and 11 months in a general regime colony in the case of “discrediting” the army (Part 1 of Article 280.3 of the Criminal Code); Previously, the human rights activist was fined 150 thousand rubles, but the prosecutor’s office appealed this verdict. This was reported by a Mediazona correspondent from the courtroom.

The prosecutor also asked to ban Orlov from administering the sites for three years.

When appealing the fine, the prosecutor's office asked Orlova for three years in prison. The prosecution justified the demand by saying that the human rights activist’s motive was “political and ideological hatred of the Russian Federation, which he tried to convey to as many people as possible.”

As prosecutor Stupkin explained, the fine is an “excessively lenient” punishment, which “does not correspond to the nature, degree of social danger of the crime and the individual,” and the court, in his opinion, did not take into account “the goals of punishment aimed at correcting the convicted person and preventing new crimes.”

The human rights activist was detained in March last year. Then the security forces came to search his home and several other Memorial employees. As a result, a criminal case was opened against Orlov, the reason for which was the anti-war article “They wanted fascism. They got it." On October 11, 2023, judge Kristina Kostryukova imposed a fine on him. After appealing the verdict, the court began a retrial on February 16.

Orlov refused to testify during the new trial, citing Article 51 of the Constitution, and also decided not to call witnesses - he called the trial deliberately unfair. The human rights activist plans to give only the last word.