Russia: Human rights defender Oleg Orlov released

Paris-Geneva, August 2, 2024 – Oleg Orlov has been released and is now safe and out of Russia. He was freed as part of a broader prisoner exchange between Russia and Western countries, along with 15 other Russian political prisoners - journalists, activists and political opponents of Vladimir Putin's regime.

“Oleg never wanted to leave Russia. Even when he was first hinted at and then threatened. He never asked for a pardon or an exchange. But the authorities found a way to get rid of one of the country's best people”, declared Natalia Morozova, acting head of FIDH’s Eastern Europe and Central Asia desk. “We are happy to see Oleg free, but this joy is overshadowed by the fact that he is in exile, and hundreds more political prisoners languish in Russia.”

Oleg Orlov was co-chairman of the Russian human rights NGO Memorial Human Rights Defence Center (HRDC “Memorial”), a member of FIDH. On July 9, 2024, the Paris City Council made Oleg Orlov an honorary citizen of Paris. He had already been awarded the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Expression in 2009, and the Moscow Helsinki Group Award in 2012.

“We have for years continuously documented and condemned intense judicial and other harassment of Oleg Orlov”, added Maryia Kvitsinskaya, Human Rights Adviser for Europe and Central Asia Programme at the OMCT. “His release is a significant achievement, but it also reflects the ongoing silencing of human rights defenders in Russia, which deprives the population of their most determined advocates.”

The end of years of judicial harassment

On October 11, 2023, the Golovinsky District Court of Moscow found Oleg Orlov guilty of "public actions aimed at discrediting the use of armed forces of the Russian Federation" and fined him 150,000 roubles (approximately 1,409 Euros). This followed his article "Russia: they wanted fascism, they got it" published in Le Club de Mediapart, on November 13, 2022.

While Oleg Orlov filed a first appeal to request acquittal, the prosecutor's office also filed an appeal demanding three years’ imprisonment. On February 27, 2024, the Golovinsky District Court sentenced him to two years and six months in a correctional colony of the general regime and he was taken to detention center № 7 "Kapotnia" in Moscow. He appealed this decision on March 18, 2024.

On April 17, 2024, even before the judgement was enforced, Mr. Orlov was transferred illegally to a pre-trial detention centre in Syzran, 900 kilometres from Moscow, preventing private consultations with his lawyer and impeding his right to a fair defence. On July 11, 2024, his appeal was rejected, enforcing the verdict of two years and six months of imprisonment in a correctional colony of the general regime.

The Observatory welcomes the efforts of the international community that led to the release of Oleg Orlov. The Observatory calls for the continuation of these efforts to obtain the release of all other arbitrarily imprisoned human rights defenders in Russia and to allow them to continue their legitimate activities.

Contacts :

• FIDH : Raphaël Lopoukhine: rlopoukhine@fidh.org
• OMCT: Francesca Pezzola: fpe@omct.org