Russian Activist Fined for Comparing Putin's Russia to '1984'

Russian veteran human rights activist Oleg Orlov has been convicted and fined for "discrediting" the armed forces after comparing Russia under President Vladimir Putin to George Orwell's "1984" in a November 2022 article. Orlov, a leading member of the disbanded Memorial human rights group, used his closing speech to criticize the state's suppression of dissent and warned of a slide into a new totalitarianism. He was supported in court by Dmitry Muratov, co-winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, who echoed Orlov's concerns about Russia's path towards self-destruction in Ukraine. The judge ordered a fine of 150,000 roubles ($1,500) for Orlov.