Russia Imprisons Lawyers for Defending Opposition Leader Navalny

Three defense attorneys for the late Alexei Navalny have been handed prison sentences in what critics deem an ongoing crackdown on dissent in Russia.

Three Russian lawyers who defended the late opposition leader Alexei Navalny have been sentenced to prison, with terms reaching up to five-and-a-half years. The convictions stem from charges related to their alleged involvement in an “extremist organization”. In a move that has drawn widespread condemnation, Vadim Kobzev, Igor Sergunin, and Alexei Liptser were detained in October 2023, during a time of heightened repression against political dissenters in Russia.

The lawyers' trial, which took place behind closed doors in Petushki, east of Moscow, accused them of using their legal status to communicate with Navalny and his associates. Navalny, who died in February while imprisoned in a remote Arctic penal colony, had previously criticized the charges leveled against his defenders as reminiscent of Soviet-era tactics, stating they reflected the deteriorating state of the rule of law in Russia.

Of the trio, Igor Sergunin was the only to plead guilty, resulting in a reduced prison sentence of three-and-a-half years. In contrast, Alexei Liptser received a five-year term, while Vadim Kobzev was sentenced to five-and-a-half years. Kobzev's lawyer, Andrei Grivtsov, condemned the evidence against them as a violation of privacy rights, noting a legal prohibition against eavesdropping on attorney-client conversations in prison.

The sentencing elicited strong reactions, with lawyers contesting the legality of the proceedings. Liptser’s attorney, Andrei Orlov, expressed dismay at the verdict but remained resolute in their commitment to continue fighting against the injustices faced by the lawyers.

Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Foundation had previously been labeled as “extremist” by Russian courts, leading to further criminal charges against Navalny himself. Ivan Zhdanov, a leader within the foundation, remarked on the striking coincidence of the lawyers’ sentencing date, echoing the timing of Navalny's own arrest. Meanwhile, human rights organizations, including Amnesty International, asserted that the Russian government is systematically eroding the right to legal defense by prosecuting lawyers for their professional duties.

Yulia Navalnaya, Navalny's widow, described the sentenced lawyers as “political prisoners” deserving immediate release, while former colleague Olga Mikhailova, who relocated outside of Russia, condemned the rulings as “brutal and absurd.” Navalny’s situation deteriorated throughout his imprisonment, culminating in his relocation to an even harsher penal colony, Polar Wolf, where he ultimately died at the age of 47—a death his widow vehemently disputes as authentic.