A Russian court sentences the co-chair of a Nobel-winning rights group to 30 months in prison

By The Associated Press

A Moscow court has sentenced a veteran human rights advocate who spoke out against the war in Ukraine to two years and six months in prison. Oleg Orlov, 70, was taken directly into custody from the courtroom on Tuesday. He was convicted of “repeatedly discrediting” the Russian army in an article he wrote denouncing the invasion of Ukraine. He has rejected the case against him as politically motivated. The verdict concluded a retrial after Orlov was earlier ordered to pay a fine. 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 is co-chairman of the Nobel Peace Prize-winning human rights group Memorial.