The European Union is appalled by the sentencing of Oleg Orlov, a prominent human rights defender and co-chair of renowned human rights organisation Memorial, to two and a half years in prison on politically motivated charges.

Orlov had committed no crime or offence, he has exercised his Constitutional right to express his views and voice his opinion about the policies of the government of his country. This sentence goes against the Russian legislation and the Russian Constitution and is clearly politically motivated.

We call on the Russian authorities to immediately and unconditionally release all political prisoners and to abandon their oppressive legislation used to suppress civil society and independent voices. 

The European Union stands in solidarity with all those Russian citizens who have dared to raise their voice and criticise Russia’s war and who have been detained, prosecuted or imprisoned for this.