Rights defenders offer to sign-in in support of Oleg Orlov

Human rights activists and public figures of Russia have issued a statement in defence of the Chairman of the Board of the Human Rights Centre "Memorial" Oleg Orlov, accused of slandering the head of Chechnya Ramzan Kadyrov. Collection of signatures under the statement is underway on the Internet.

"Orlov is under threat of up to 3 years of imprisonment. Ramzan Kadyrov was recognized as a victim, as Oleg Orlov had imposed political responsibility on him for kidnapping and murder in Chechnya of rights defender Natalia Estemirova. Kadyrov gladly accept the laurels of the builder of the republic, but wouldn't like to be responsible for the terror and crimes perpetrated daily in the region, headed by him," says the rights defenders' statement already signed by more than 30 persons.

The authors of the statement point out that the hour of justice will come for Ramzan Kadyrov either. "But we do not want the road to justice to be marked with tragedies and broken fates of any innocent people. We are convinced that the only possible fair verdict in Oleg Orlov's case can only be his full acquittal!" state the applicants.

The list of signatories includes: Liudmila Alekseeva, Chair of the Moscow Helsinki Group (MHG) and Foundation "In Defence of Prisoners' Rights"; Valery Borschov, a member of the MHG and Foundation "Social Partnership"; Yuri Vdovin, "Civil Control" and a member of the Human Rights Council of St Petersburg; Boris Vishnevskiy, a member of the Bureau of the "Yabloko" Party and an observer for the "Novaya Gazeta"; Lydia Grafova, "Forum of Migrants' Organizations"; Nina Katerli, a member of the PEN Centre (St Petersburg); Elena Grishina, Director of the Public Information Centre; Sergey Kovalyov, Public Commission on A. D. Sakharov's legacy; Alexander Podrabinek, a journalist; Lev Ponomaryov, All-Russian Movement "For Human Rights", and others.

The collection of signatures continues.