Russia seeks to imprison veteran rights advocate for nearly 3 years over Ukraine war criticism

By The Associated Press

The Russian authorities have sought a prison sentence of nearly three years for a veteran human rights advocate who spoke out against the war in Ukraine. The prosecution demanded that Oleg Orlov, 70, be convicted of “repeatedly discrediting” the Russian army and sentenced to two years and 11 months in prison, in a retrial after he was earlier ordered to pay a fine. In a move that underscored 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.