Remembering the Victims: Russians and Western Diplomats Unite to Honor Soviet Terror Victims

Russians and Western diplomats honored the victims of Soviet state terror at the Returning of the Names event organized by human rights group Memorial. The event, traditionally held in Moscow, was refused a permit by authorities citing the "epidemiological situation." Instead, Muscovites and Western ambassadors laid flowers at the Solovetsky Stone memorial under police watch. Memorial, which was ordered to close by Moscow authorities, continues its human rights activities. Meanwhile, Russian prosecutors seek a three-year prison sentence for Memorial co-chair Oleg Orlov, who was fined and convicted of publicly discrediting the Russian military for denouncing the invasion of Ukraine.