A Russian war enemy will be put on trial with audio played
There are still war opponents in Russia. However, they are not well-liked - and their words are evidently feared.
Oleg Orlow, the imprisoned human rights activist in Russia, failed in his appeal against his prison sentence. The court in Moscow dismissed Orlow's appeal claim and decided to keep his two-and-a-half-year prison term unchanged.
During the hearing, Orlow, who was connected via video link from the prison in Sysran, some 900 kilometers south-east of Moscow, compared the Russian judicial system to the conditions in Nazi Germany. He quoted Telford Taylor, the US prosecutor from the Nuremberg Trials against leading representatives of the Nazi regime, who had said: "They have perverted and misused the law, and in the end, they have achieved the complete destruction of right and law."
"These words are remarkably fitting to describe the current Russian judicial system," Orlow said during the hearing. Orlow is currently imprisoned in the city of Sysran. He also confirmed his allegations of "mass oppression" in Russia and expressed his support for those being persecuted. "I regret nothing and have a clear conscience. I am in the right place at the right time," Orlow said during the hearing in the packed courtroom in Moscow, where he participated via video conference from the prison.
"I'm on the side of the persecuted"
"When mass oppression comes to the country, I'm on the side of the persecuted, and in this way, I help," Orlow continued. Then, the audio from his video link was cut off.
Orlow was sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison in February for speaking out against the war in Ukraine. He was found guilty of discrediting the Russian army after participating in demonstrations against the war and writing an article accusing President Vladimir Putin of leading the country into fascism.
Orlow's supporters had recently expressed concerns about his health condition. His legal team spoke of inhumane and degrading prison conditions.
Another prominent war opponent, Vladimir Kara-Mursa, has also been exiled in Russia. Recently, he was transferred to a prison hospital. He was close to long-term Putin critic Alexei Navalny, who died in custody in February. His entourage, as well as Western politicians, hold Putin responsible for this.
- Despite being a war opponent, Vladimir Putin's criticism in Russia is met with disfavor and a sense of fear.
- The dismissal of Oleg Orlow's appeal for his prison sentence amidst allegations of war crimes and mass oppression has sparked international concerns about human rights in Russia.
- If Vladimir Putin were to be accused of war crimes related to the attack on Ukraine, it would be a significant blow to his political persona and could potentially disqualify him from future settings like the Peace Nobel Prize.
- The global community is calling for justice in Russia, demanding accountability for war crimes and upholding human rights, putting political pressure on Putin and his administration.
