INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Authorities in Russia have launched more than 10,000 cases against people accused of "discrediting" the army since the full-scale invasion
of Ukraine, the independent news outlet Mediazona reported Thursday.Legislation passed soon after Russia's February 2022 invasion punishes
public acts or statements seen as critical of the Russian armed forces
Thousands of people have been detained as a result."The 10,000th case was submitted to a court in the first week of August," Mediazona
said.Most cases came in the first months of the war, with the total number of charges reaching 5,614 by the end of 2022, Mediazona wrote
This year so far there have been at least 1,410 cases.Individuals found guilty of an initial offense face a fine of up to 50,000 rubles
seven years if their actions led to injuries, death or mass public order offenses.According to the civil rights watchdog OVD-Info, 200
people have been indicted for a repeat offense, although some of these people have left the country.In February, Memorial rights activist
Oleg Orlov was found guilty of discrediting the army as a repeat offense and sentenced to two and half years in prison
Last month, the 71-year-old was freed in an international prisoner exchange and flew to Germany.
