The Russian opponent, Oleg Orlov, 70, was sentenced to two and a half years in prison at the end of February for publicly denouncing the offensive in Ukraine.
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At the age of 70, he chose not to leave Russia and to continue the fight for human rights from within. Oleg Orlov’s relatives say his health has deteriorated in recent days, and he has no access to care. Those responsible for the former NGO Memorial – banned by the Kremlin and of which Oleg Orlov was one of the founders – are relaying these concerns.
According to his relatives, Oleg Orlov has lost part of his hearing in recent days. The septuagenarian, sentenced at the end of February to two and a half years in prison for having publicly denounced the offensive in Ukraine, has become cold because of the incessant back and forth between his prison and the court that a judge imposes on him. Oleg Orlov sometimes waits for long hours in the court cells for him to be taken out in order to be able to read his file with a view to his appeal trial, which the authorities are eager to see end.
No private conversation with his lawyer
In fact, he hardly eats hot meals, and he has caught a cold to the point of having hearing problems. Since he returns too late from court every evening, the administration does not allow him to see a doctor, which his relatives denounce, as does the fact that he cannot have any private conversation with his lawyer.
The case of Oleg Orlov once again highlights the harsh conditions of detention in Russia, after the death of Alexeï Navalny in his Arctic prison. The cases of other political prisoners are also worrying. Vladimir Kara Murza and activist Alexandra Skotchilenko are regularly cited, both of whom have serious health problems and have little or no access to care.
