Upon entering the Moscow courtroom, Oleg Orlov wastes no time in expressing his sentiments about being placed on trial for criticizing the war in Ukraine.
As a highly respected human rights defender in Russia, Orlov makes a powerful statement by opening his briefcase and revealing a book to the television cameras. The title of the book is "End of the Regime."
"This is a fitting title. I highly recommend reading it," Orlov said. He went on to explain that the book explores the downfall of totalitarian and fascist regimes.
Orlov has been an outspoken critic of both the ongoing war in Ukraine and the suppression of dissent within Russia. Since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russia in February 2022, numerous Russians have faced prosecution under new laws specifically designed to stifle criticism of the country's war efforts.
Facing trial for allegedly violating one of these laws, Orlov, who is 70 years old, potentially faces up to three years in prison for repeatedly "discrediting" the Russian army through his criticism of the war in Ukraine.
"The article I am being tried under is 'Public actions aimed at discrediting the use of the Russian armed forces for protecting the interests of the Russian Federation and its citizens, and preserving international peace and security'," Orlov explained in an interview prior to his trial.
He continued, "First and foremost, the Russian Constitution guarantees freedom of speech. I wrote an article expressing my assessment of events. Prosecuting me for that is a violation of the Constitution."
Orlov further stated, "Secondly, let's be clear, what is happening in Ukraine — it is a war — and it goes against the interests of Russia and its citizens. Claiming that the war in Ukraine is 'in the interests of international peace' is simply absurd, reminiscent of George Orwell's 'War is Peace' and 'Freedom is Slavery'."
Indeed, Article 29 of the Russian Constitution does guarantee freedom of speech. However, in reality, individuals who publicly criticize those in power in Russia face significant risks. The Russian authorities have implemented a range of repressive laws that can be used to punish government critics and opponents of the war in Ukraine.
One such law is the "Law on Fakes," which criminalizes the public dissemination of deliberately false information about the use of the Russian armed forces. This law has been utilized to imprison prominent Kremlin critics like Ilya Yashin, who received an eight-and-a-half-year sentence.
Other methods employed to silence dissent include charging individuals with "justifying terrorism" or accusations of treason, resulting in lengthy prison terms. Critics argue that the scale of repression and the severity of punishments resemble the era of Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev or even Stalin's time.
The trial of Oleg Orlov has garnered international condemnation, with the Council of Europe denouncing it as a "travesty of justice." The Council of Europe's Commissioner for Human Rights, Dunja Mijatovic, emphasizes the importance of sending a strong message that such repression and control of thoughts is unacceptable.
In Russia, efforts to support political prisoners continue despite restrictions on collective protests. Events like the monthly letter-writing campaign organized by the liberal party Yabloko allow Muscovites to show solidarity with prisoners. People gather at tables, writing letters and postcards to political prisoners, providing them with support and reminding them that they are not forgotten.
These acts of solidarity carry great significance, as they demonstrate that even in the face of growing repression, there are those who refuse to be silenced.
