Rights Activist Acquitted of Slandering Kadyrov

A Moscow court on Tuesday unexpectedly acquitted Oleg Orlov, head of the Memorial human rights group, of charges he slandered Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov. The court ruled that Orlov’s allegations that Kadyrov was responsible for the killing of Memorial activist Natalya Estemirova were “hypothetical” and did not constitute slander. Orlov had maintained the charges were aimed at undermining Memorial, which has persistently accused Kadyrov […]