Russia wants to imprison the co-chair of Nobel-winning rights group over criticism of war in Ukraine

By DASHA LITVINOVA
Associated Press

Russian authorities are seeking a prison sentence of nearly three years for a veteran human rights advocate who spoke out against the war in Ukraine. The prosecution demanded on Monday that 70-year-old Oleg Orlov be convicted of “repeatedly discrediting” the Russian army and sentenced to two years and 11 months in prison. This comes in a retrial after he was earlier ordered to pay a fine. In a move underscoring how little tolerance President Vladimir Putin’s government has for criticism of its invasion of Ukraine, the prosecution appealed the fine, seeking a harsher punishment. Orlov, co-chairman of the Nobel Peace Prize-winning human rights group Memorial, was arrested for an article he wrote that denounced the invasion of Ukraine.