Co-chair of Nobel-winning rights group in Russia gets jail for criticising war

A Moscow court on Tuesday sentenced a veteran human rights advocate, who spoke out against the war in Ukraine, to two years and six months in prison.

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Oleg Orlov, 70, was convicted of "repeatedly discrediting" the Russian army in an article he wrote denouncing the invasion of Ukraine. He has rejected the case against him as politically motivated, telling the court in his closing statement: "I don't regret anything and I don't repent anything." Orlov was hand cuffed and taken directly into custody from the courtroom. His verdict concluded a retrial in which Orlov was earlier ordered to pay a fine.

Underscoring how little tolerance President Vladimir Putin's government has for criticism of its invasion of Ukraine, the prosecution had appealed, seeking a harsher punishment.