Russia Labels Human Rights Activist As Foreign Agent

Russia’s Justice Ministry has designated Oleg Orlov, a longtime Russian human rights activist, as a ‘foreign agent’ on Friday.

The foreign agent designation requires people and businesses on the list to include a disclaimer on any publications they publish, as well as severe financial reporting and self-disclosure obligations.

Orlov, 70, has been a leader of the Memorial human rights group for more than two decades. The organization won a share of the Nobel Peace Prize in 2022, a year after being outlawed and dissolved in Russia.

Orlov is facing accusations of discrediting Russia’s armed forces. In October, he was penalized for an article in which he claimed that Russia under President Vladimir Putin had descended into fascism.

He challenged the verdict, and prosecutors demanded a three-year jail term, charging him with ‘political hatred of Russia’, which he disputes.

In December, a Moscow court ordered a retrial in Orlov’s case on a legal technicality after prosecutors changed their position.

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