A Russian court sentenced Orlov on charges of “discrediting” Russia’s armed forces in what was clearly a farcical trial, Human Rights Watch said today.

Orlov, 70, is the co-chair of Memorial, one of Russia’s leading human rights groups and one of three recipients of the 2022 Nobel Peace Prize. The charges against him stem from an article he published in 2022, alleging that Russia was descending into fascism.