Geneva, A United Nations expert has sharply criticized the ongoing prosecution of Oleg Orlov, a leading human rights advocate and co-chair of the Nobel Peace Prize-winning group “Memorial”, calling it a clear politicization of the Russian legal system to suppress dissent. The UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in the Russian Federation, Mariana Katzarova, has called for the immediate dismissal of all charges against Orlov, who is currently on trial for allegedly discrediting the Russian armed forces.

According to Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Katzarova highlighted the charges against Orlov as baseless under international law and a direct violation of Russia’s obligations to uphold freedom of expression. She condemned the broader legal framework, including laws against so-called ‘fake news’ about the war and discrediting the army, which were enacted shortly after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, urging their immediate repeal.

Orlov faces up to three years in prison if convicted, with his trial representing a broader campaign against anti-war voices in Russia, especially poignant as the world observed the second anniversary of the conflict’s escalation. Katzarova pointed out the irregularities in Orlov’s legal proceedings, including rushed charges and armed delivery of the indictment, as evidence of the trial’s politically motivated nature.

The UN Special Rapporteur’s statement comes amid a clampdown on dissent in Russia, exemplified by the detention of hundreds for honoring the late opposition figure Navalny and the intensifying persecution of human rights defenders. Katzarova, alongside other UN experts, has previously called for the release of all political prisoners in Russia, a plea that has gone unanswered as the crackdown on peaceful protest and anti-war sentiment continues.

Katzarova reiterated her call for the immediate release of all political prisoners and an end to the repression of civil society and anti-war activists in Russia, emphasizing the international community’s concern over the misuse of the judiciary for political ends.