Freedom to Oleg Orlov!

On February 27, 2024, a Russian court handed down an unjust, absurd sentence to Oleg Orlov, a human rights activist and one of the founders of Memorial Society. Right in the courtroom, he was handcuffed and sent to a penal colony for two and a half years. Oleg Orlov was convicted for his fair words about Putin’s system and for calling things by their proper names. The whole trial was a farce reminiscent of Kafka’s novel “The Trial.” Oleg read this book during the court sessions. Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ales Bialiatski has been in a Belarusian prison for several years. Now, one of the leaders of the International Memorial, which was also awarded the Nobel Prize, is in a Russian prison.

We, members of Memorial organizations in various countries, protest against this verdict. We call for solidarity and support for Oleg Orlov.

The International Memorial Association was founded in May 2023 in Geneva and comprises 15 founding organizations from Belgium, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, France, Israel, Italy, Germany, Poland, Russia, Ukraine and France. Oleg Orlov is a member of the Association’s Board of Directors.