The Paris City Hall has awarded the title of honorary citizen of the city to human rights activist Oleg Orlov and politician Ilya Yashin. This was reported by Memorial.
As human rights activists write, the deputies of the Paris City Hall unanimously supported the candidacies of Orlov and Yashin. The title of honorary citizen of Paris has been awarded for over 20 years to those who are «fighting for democracy, respect for human rights and freedom.»
«Courage in the face of the repression of the Putin regime deserves recognition and support. As the capital of human rights, we confirm our solidarity with Russian civil society, which is courageously resisting authoritarianism and the war in Ukraine,» said Deputy Mayor of Paris Jean-Luc Romero-Michel at the meeting.
Politician Ilya Yashin is currently in Smolensk IK-3. In December 2022, he was sentenced to eight and a half years in prison in the case of military «fakes» (paragraph «d» of Part 2 of Article 207.3 of the Criminal Code). The reason for the prosecution was a stream during which Yashin spoke about the murders of Bucha residents by Russian soldiers.
71-year-old human rights activist Oleg Orlov was also tried for anti-war statements. Initially, in the case of «discrediting» the army (Part 1 of Article 280.3 of the Criminal Code), he was sentenced to a fine due to the anti-war article, but in February 2024, the punishment was replaced by two and a half years in prison. Orlov is currently in pre-trial detention, awaiting an appeal of the sentence. The human rights activist's health has worsened while in prison.