Rights defender Orlov criticizes expertise conclusions in his case

The investigator has announced the completion of the re-investigation in the case of Oleg Orlov; and the motives of hatred and enmity have been added to the imputed charges of discrediting the Russian Army. Oleg Orlov has noted that the examination of his article, which became the basis for the emergence of the above aggravating circumstances in the case, took only one day, and the conclusions thereof are illogical.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on December 14, 2023, a court in Moscow considered an appeal against the verdict to Oleg Orlov, a co-chairman of the Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial". The prosecutor then claimed that Orlov's motive was not indicated in the case files and demanded to overturn the verdict and return the case to the Prosecutor's Office (PO). The court decided to cancel Orlov's verdict; and the latter accused the PO of dishonesty.

Ilya Savchenko, an investigator, has stated that Orlov had published the article, guided by the motive of "ideological hostility against traditional Russian spiritual, moral and patriotic values" and the motive of hatred towards the social group "Russian militaries." At the same time, Orlov "realized that the circumstances of the special military operation (SMO) arouse increased public attention and have exceptional social significance."

Oleg Orlov has criticized the conclusions of the expertise. "I don't understand at all what 'ideological hostility against traditional Russian spiritual, moral and patriotic values' is ... I also don't understand on what basis they ascribe to me already not hostility, but 'hatred towards the social group of Russian militaries.' Again, I don't understand who they include into this social group," he has noted.