Oleg Orlov, a 70-year-old human rights advocate, faced a Moscow court and received a 2.5-year prison sentence for allegedly discrediting the Russian armed forces. The charges stemmed from Orlov’s writings in a 2022 column for a French news site. Despite approximately 200 supporters rallying in front of the court, the sentence was upheld. Initially fined 150 thousand rubles in October 2023, Orlov faced retrial following prosecutors’ dissatisfaction with the penalty, leading to the recent sentencing.