Posts Tagged ‘caucasian knot’

Environmental defender Alexander Nikitin awarded compensation by European Court

November 13, 2023

On 10 November 2023 the Caucasian Knot reported that the ECtHR had found a violation of the rights of Krasnodar activist Nikitin. Alexander Konstantinovich Nikitin is a Russian former submarine officer and nuclear safety inspector turned environmentalist. In 1996 he was accused of espionage for revealing the perils of decaying nuclear submarines, and in 2000 he became the first Russian to be completely acquitted of a charge of treason in the Soviet or post-Soviet era. Nikitin is still engaged in environmental and human rights issues in Russia. He is the head of Bellona Foundation’s Saint Petersburg branch, and is engaged in environmental and nuclear safety projects, as well as in human rights cases. He is a widely recognised HRD, see: https://www.trueheroesfilms.org/thedigest/laureates/D519B52C-D0C3-4B3B-B8F6-798A34B1BF04

The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) has awarded compensation of EUR 5000 to Alexei Nikitin, a Krasnodar activist. Nikitin was detained at an action against increasing prices for public transport in 2018 and at a rally in support of Alexei Navalny* in 2021.

Navalny’s offices are recognized as extremist organizations and banned in Russia. Alexei Navalny is a founder of the Anti-Corruption Foundation (known as FBK), an NCO that is included by the Russian Ministry of Justice (MoJ) into the register of NCOs performing functions of a foreign agent. The NCO is also recognized by a court as extremist and banned in the territory of Russia.

https://eng.kavkaz-uzel.eu/articles/63451

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Human rights defender Oleg Orlov in further trouble

October 30, 2023

The Prosecutor’s Office has appealed against the verdict passed to human rights defender, Oleg Orlov, who was fined on charges of discrediting the Russian Army, and demanded to sentence him to three years in colony. [see: https://humanrightsdefenders.blog/2022/04/01/grim-times-for-human-rights-defenders-and-real-journalists-in-russia/]

The “Caucasian Knot” has reported that on October 11, the Golovinsky District Court of Moscow sentenced Oleg Orlov, a co-chairman of the “Memorial” Centre for Human Rights Defence, to a fine of 150,000 roubles. At the same time, the prosecutor asked the court to fine Orlov by 250,000 roubles, and his defence stated that the article of the Criminal Code about discrediting the Russian Army was contrary to the Russian Constitution and the international law.

The reason to accuse Orlov was a Russian translation of his article posted on the Facebook*; the original was published in the French outlet named “Mediapart”. The article condemns the special military operation (SMO) in Ukraine.

On October 26, Orlov and his defence filed a complaint against the court verdict, the above “Memorial” Centre reported in its Telegram channel.

“The PO has also challenged the verdict. They demand to sentence Orlov to three years of freedom deprivation – this is the maximum punishment under the article under which he is being tried,” the outlet says.

The PO has justified the change in its position by saying that Orlov experiences political and ideological hatred of the Russian Federation, and also, together with the “Memorial”, continues undermining the stability of the civil society.

Oleg Orlov has treated the PO’s appeal presentation as “an act of self-exposure.” “Now no one can doubt that this trial was and continues to be of a political nature. I am being prosecuted for my dissent,” he has noted.

https://eng.kavkaz-uzel.eu/articles/63362

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