Russian Court Sentences Prominent Activist to Prison for Criticizing Ukraine War

Oleg Orlov, a prominent Russian human rights defender, was sentenced to two and a half years in prison for criticizing the war in Ukraine and the current regime as "fascist." He was convicted under a law that forbids "discrediting Russia's armed forces." Orlov also condemned the death of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny in prison and urged people to not lose optimism. The closure of Memorial, Russia's most prominent rights group, and the ongoing crackdown on dissent signal a concerning erosion of freedoms in the country.