INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Veteran human rights defender Oleg Orlov was one of the 16 prisoners freed by Russia on Aug
1 in a historic exchange between Russia and the West.Orlov, 71, a vocal critic of the invasion of Ukraine, had been imprisoned this year for
many times that his will was to remain in Russia even as a sweeping crackdown on dissent forced most other critics to leave the country.The
Moscow Times spoke to Orlov about his exchange and the challenges faced by Russian human rights defenders who have been forced out of the
country but remain committed to continuing their work.This interview has been edited for length and clarity.MT: What emotions did you feel
on the day of the exchange?OO: The emotions I felt on the day of the exchange were complex
I'm not sure if it was right for me to be there
In my view, it was unjust and unfair that I was on the [prisoner exchange] list while many people who should have been there were not
It would have been more just to exchange them.That morning, there was complete confusion about what was happening [due to the transfer from
I thought they might talk to me about opening a new criminal case or demand something else from me
Then they showed me a decree for my release due to a presidential pardon
Although I hadn't written any request [for a pardon], at that moment I realized I was being exchanged.On the bus [on the way to the
I was so happy to see her, and I think she was happy to see me
We recognized each other, although we hadn't met in person before
It's a special kind of joy when you see other political prisoners [finally free]! In front of her was Andrei Pivovarov, and in front of him
I felt that same joy again when I saw Vladimir Kara-Murza
But then anxiety and confusion set in
above our heads in so long
maybe it's the last time I'll see it, or I won't see it again for a long time
It's such a complex emotional experience.Could you describe the conditions you were held in? How is your health?Everything is fine
be replenished by being outside in the sun
You can see from the condition of some of the others that imprisonment took a much heavier toll on them
For example, we know that Kara-Murza faced constant abuse [in the colony]
I was in various pre-trial detention centers (SIZOs), and conditions varied in each.Sometimes, it was a tiny, overcrowded cell with more
As for refrigerators or televisions, those were out of the question
None of the regulations were followed
as much as they could be.In the last months, I was in a small cell, 2 by 4 meters, which included a toilet, a sink, a bunk bed, a small
table, and two stools, leaving almost no room to move around
Russia.How are you planning to settle into your new life?I need to sort out some practical, financial matters
Now, I need to organize my status and paperwork
My colleagues at Memorial are helping me a lot with the practical side of things.In an interview with The Moscow Times ahead of your
sentencing in February, you said you believed in a better future for the country...I still believe that a better future is possible
But I felt there was hope because, throughout my time in captivity, I was always able to find common ground, to build normal, even friendly,
relationships with all the other prisoners, no matter how different they were
You can always find a common language and something that connects us
I think that all of us who have been exiled from Russia will be able to return without the immediate threat of imprisonment within 10 years
That might seem like a terribly long time, but perhaps it will be shorter
But I believe that within no more than 10 years, we will return to Russia
It may not yet be the "beautiful Russia of the future," but we will be able to begin the real work of building that beautiful future there.A
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