Russian Human Rights Activist Oleg Orlov Sentenced to 30 Months in Jail

Russian human rights campaigner Oleg Orlov has been sentenced to two and a half years in jail for "discrediting" the Russian armed forces, marking a growing intolerance of public criticism in Russia. This re-trial and harsher sentence reflect the authorities' crackdown on dissent, with other government critics also facing upgraded prison sentences. Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, repressive laws have been used to punish opponents of the war and critics of the government, leading to a dark period for the Russian opposition as prominent figures are imprisoned or forced into exile.