Veronika Orlova

Affiliated media: SotaVision, Reporter

Incident date: May 7, 2025

Attack type:

• Non-fatal attack / beating / injury / torture

Who attacked: Authorities

Source: OVD Info

Location: Russia, Moscow, Moscow

Additional information:

The Tverskoy District Court in Moscow sentenced 19-year-old SotaVision correspondent Veronika Orlova to 13 days in jail under Article 19.3 of the Administrative Offenses Code for allegedly disobeying police. Orlova was detained on the morning of May 6 near the Bolshoi Moskvoretsky Bridge while filming activist Grigory Saksonov, who had descended into the river on a rope with a poster that read “Putin is Hitler.” She maintained that she was not part of the protest and was en route to the Supreme Court at the time of her detention. During the trial, the court dismissed all motions from the defence, including requests for surveillance footage and documentation of Orlova’s age and health condition. Following the hearing, Orlova and Saksonov were held overnight in a poorly ventilated police van from May 7 to May 8. At the detention center, an officer reportedly treated Orlova harshly and denied her access to hygiene supplies.