Prominent advocate for human rights, Oleg Orlov, received a two and a half year prison sentence from a Moscow court on Tuesday. He was found guilty of defaming the Russian military in a trial that has been described by international observers as being influenced by politics.

Orlov, aged 70, has been a prominent figure in the rights organization Memorial for over 20 years. In 2022, the group, which had previously been banned and disbanded in Russia, was recognized with a portion of the Nobel Peace Prize.

Following the decision, Memorial stated that Orlov was placed in handcuffs and the court directed for him to be promptly detained.

During the trial’s conclusion on Monday, Orlov expressed his disapproval for the lack of freedom in Russia, describing it as a “dystopia.”

He was charged for his 2022 publication in which he stated that under President Vladimir Putin, Russia had fallen into a state of fascism.

Initially, he received a fine of $1,628 from a district court in the previous year. However, a new trial was requested and the prosecution aimed for a prison term of two years and 11 months.

Mariana Katzarova, the U.N.’s expert on human rights in Russia, denounced Orlov’s trial as a deliberate effort to silence human rights advocates in the country.

Since its establishment in 1989, Memorial has been dedicated to recording instances of human rights violations spanning from the era of Soviet leader Josef Stalin to present day. It also has a strong commitment to protecting freedom of expression, with a particular emphasis on recognizing and commemorating individual victims.