Opposition to current Kremlin policies remains important to prepare for the time after President Vladimir Putin, Russian dissident and human rights activist Oleg Orlov has told dpa in an interview in Moscow.

“For as long as he is at the top, I do not believe that one can hope for change of any kind,” Orlov, 70, said. He is currently on trial for discrediting the Russian military and could face a lengthy term in a penal colony.

“But [Putin’s] departure will undoubtedly lead to change and to a split in the elite,” he said. “And the opposition, as well as the remains of civil society will have an enormous role at this point, to ensure that the changes are not merely cosmetic.”

Orlov was at the head of Memorial, an organization that was one of three recipients of the 2022 Nobel Peace Prize. It has been dissolved in Russia.

“When that will happen, and whether Putin will go in the natural course of events, we do not know.” Putin, who is 71, has had the Russian constitution changed to allow him to run for the presidency for the fifth time in next year’s elections.

Russian authorities have acted harshly against critics since the invasion of Ukraine almost two years ago. Orlov has expressed opposition to the war.

Legal proceedings against Orlov have been ongoing for months. A relatively modest fine was imposed on him in October, but in December the judgement was revoked and the trial restarted. Prosecutors are calling for a lengthy sentence.