Defence points out violations in case against Oleg Orlov*

A court, when considering the appeal filed by human rights defender Oleg Orlov*, took the side of the prosecutor’s office, although there is no evidence of guilt in the case, the defence claims. Letters from friends and relatives support Oleg Orlov*in a SIZO (pre-trial prison), his wife says.

The “Caucasian Knot” has reported that on February 27, in Moscow, a court found Oleg Orlov* guilty in the criminal case on discrediting the Russian Armed forces and sentenced him to 2.5 years of imprisonment.

From the beginning to the end, the criminal case instituted against Oleg Orlov* has no evidence of his guilt, advocate Katerina Tertukhina states.

Oleg Orlov* could not be charged with an aggravating circumstance – the motive of hatred and enmity – during the reconsideration of the case, advocate Natalia Sekretaryova noted. There is not a single piece of evidence of the motive in the case, and this is a blatant case even by today’s standards, the advocate believes.

*Included by the Russian Ministry of Justice (MoJ) into the register of foreign agents.