In a series of legal actions that underscore the Russian government's crackdown on dissent, several individuals faced significant prison sentences for their actions and expressions against the state. Nikita Zhuravel was sentenced to 3.5 years in prison by a court in Grozny for burning the Quran in Volgograd, an act that also led to him being beaten in pre-trial detention by Adam Kadyrov, the son of the Chechen leader. On a related note, the day marking the 9th anniversary of Boris Nemtsov's murder, a vocal critic of Vladimir Putin, saw 70-year-old Oleg Orlov, a respected rights advocate and co-chair of Memorial, sentenced to 2.5 years in prison. Orlov, who refused to defend himself, calling the trial a sham, was convicted for an article he wrote titled 'They wanted fascism. They got it.' and read Kafka's 'The Trial' throughout his own trial. His sentencing coincided with remembrance events for Nemtsov, highlighting the ongoing risks faced by activists in Russia. Supporters shouted 'we love you!' as Orlov was led away after sentencing. Additionally, a man in Russian-annexed Crimea received a 2.5-year sentence for 'rehabilitating Nazism,' further illustrating the broad scope of the crackdown.
The Moscow City Court says Oleg Orlov’s status as a human rights activist is “disputed” due in part to his “unsubstantiated” allegations of murder & torture against Kadyrov. Orlov served on Putin’s Presidential Human Rights Council for two goddamn years. https://t.co/XSXv6dGkMV
⚠️ RUSSIA JAILS UKRAINIAN MAN FOR 11-1/2 YEARS FOR ATTEMPTING TO BUY SECRET MISSILE PARTS (Reuters) A court in southern Russia has jailed a Ukrainian man for 11-1/2 years after convicting him of espionage for trying to procure secret missile components for Ukraine, Russian news…
Remembering Boris Nemtsov today. His spirit lives on in his smart, funny, principled daughter, @ZhannaNemtsova. https://t.co/FWGnjI79zP
That Putin fears 70-year-old, Soviet-era dissident, Oleg Orlov is all you need to know about Putin's bankrupt regime. This is a move of weakness & cowardice, not strength & confidence. https://t.co/eAhNW47y2s
A Russian man who publicly burnt a copy of the Quran has been sentenced to three and a half years in jail in the Russian region of #Chechnya. https://t.co/BVIUHunv3N
History has shown time and again: the more a dictator tries to silence dissenting voices, the louder those voices grow and the weaker the regime gets. Putin locking up Oleg Orlov is the latest cowardly move by an increasingly isolated and unpopular regime. https://t.co/ivAOvGasNF
Assassinated near the Kremlin on this date in 2015–Boris Nemtsov, a vocal critic of Vladimir Putin & his belligerent policy towards Ukraine In 2018, the Council renamed Wisconsin Ave. in front of the Russian Embassy in DC for Nemtsov: https://t.co/uag90jqFTr @Ukraine @OMarkarova https://t.co/4upruPQvWZ
Oleg Orlov’s retrial (which today resulted in a 2.5-year prison sentence for “discrediting” Russian troops) is a modern-day retelling of Kafka’s “The Trial” where Josef K. is also reading a copy of “The Trial” in the courtroom throughout the trial. https://t.co/AucL7rfdjf
Oleg Orlov, 70, was sentenced to two and a half years in prison. In court, he condemned Alexei Navalny's death. https://t.co/9Povx0V9a5
Putin yet again demonstrates his depth of paranoia and weakness by arresting long-time human rights activist Oleg Orlov. Brezhnev and Khrushchev allowed more freedom in the USSR than Putin. https://t.co/wkerOA1IMT
Court In Chechnya Sentences Teenager To More Than 3 Years In Prison For Burning Koran, citing "insulting believers' feelings" and "religious hatred-based hooliganism." Sorry, what century are we in? The 14th?? https://t.co/CCPHXrPtd8
Russian beaten by Chechen leader's son is jailed for Koran burning https://t.co/8BNGrOJnKh https://t.co/sy3ghWASva
A court in Grozny, capital of the Russian region of #Chechnya, sentenced a Russian man to three-and-a-half years in prison for burning a Quran, Russian state news agency TASS reports. https://t.co/uKg3DxaKHO
“Doesn't the obvious occur to you? That sooner or later, the machine of repression may roll over those who launched it and drove it forward? That's what happened many times throughout history." Russian human rights campaigner Oleg Orlov sentenced to jail https://t.co/I2i9UKfbW6
people shout "we love you!" as a human rights activist is led away after sentencing in Russia. 2.5 years in a colony 😢 https://t.co/QMHC2egZYx
In his final statement shortly before the verdict and sentence were pronounced, Oleg Orlov reiterated his innocence, stressing that Russian authorities have banned "any independent opinion." https://t.co/MonCft1pAv
Legendary activist Oleg Orlov imprisoned by Kremlin for 2.5 years for the op-ed titled ‘They wanted fascism. They got it.’ Here is the English translation of Orlov’s piece: https://t.co/4fDEMBuWoz
⚠️ MAN JAILED IN RUSSIAN-ANNEXED CRIMEA FOR 'REHABILITATING NAZISM' (Reuters) A court in Russian-annexed Crimea has sentenced a man to two-and-a-half years in prison for "rehabilitating Nazism", the regional Investigative Committee said on Tuesday, amid a crackdown on behaviour…
Memorial co-chair Oleg Orlov, 70, is taken away at court in Moscow to serve a 2 1/2-year prison sentence for an article titled "They wanted fascism. They got it." https://t.co/H8Vk2Hc1wL
Another Russian dissident and rights activist, Oleg Orlov of Memorial, jailed. He declined to defend himself, calling the trial a sham, and read Kafka's The Trial throughout. https://t.co/nzg4rcnmAA
Oleg Orlov of Memorial is sentenced to 2,5 years in prison. The system once again makes it clear that it does not have a back gear - it is moving towards even greater absurdity and cruelty. This is happening on the day of remembrance of Boris Nemtsov, who was murdered 9 years ago https://t.co/6GBk1V36IG
Not just political activists or journalists. Unlike many of his colleagues, Oleg Orlov, one of Russia's most respected rights advocates, continued his work in Russia and refused to go into exile. https://t.co/VBuCr9LEE9
A court in Grozny sentenced Nikita Zhuravel to 3.5 years in prison for burning the Koran in Volgograd The young man was beaten in the Grozny pre-trial detention center by Adam Kadyrov. https://t.co/tONfXdssmR
Boris Nemtsov said that freedom comes at a high cost. For him, the cost turned out to be the highest possible. Today marks 9 years since his murder. We will always remember. https://t.co/FBZxV6Xm4z