Three lawyers representing Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny have received prison sentences ranging from three-and-a-half to five-and-a-half years, accused of being part of an "extremist organisation."
Russia Sentences Lawyers of Late Opposition Leader Navalny to Prison
Russia Sentences Lawyers of Late Opposition Leader Navalny to Prison
Three attorneys for Alexei Navalny face up to five-and-a-half years in prison on extremist charges.
In a crackdown following Navalny's sudden death in custody last February, Vadim Kobzev, Igor Sergunin, and Alexei Liptser were arrested in October 2023 as pressure on the late Kremlin critic's allies intensified. The trio faced trial in Petushki, a town situated east of Moscow, in closed proceedings. They were accused of leveraging their professional status to send messages between Navalny and his supporters, an action that has drawn comparisons to Soviet-era repression from Navalny himself.
Of the three, Igor Sergunin accepted a plea deal, resulting in a lighter sentence of three-and-a-half years, while Liptser was sentenced to five years and Kobzev to five-and-a-half years in a penal colony. Defense attorneys have argued that the prosecution evidence was essentially an unlawful violation of attorney-client confidentiality, as eavesdropping on such communications is explicitly prohibited by law.
The trials took place near the high-security facility in Pokrov where Navalny was held after his return to Russia in January 2021, following a poisoning incident for which he holds President Vladimir Putin accountable. Despite these accusations, the Kremlin has denied any involvement in Navalny's poisoning. After his passing, his widow, Yulia Navalnaya, attributed his death to the Russian state, while authorities labeled it a case of "sudden death syndrome." The recent verdicts highlight ongoing challenges to the rule of law in Russia and the repercussions faced by those associated with opposition figures.
Of the three, Igor Sergunin accepted a plea deal, resulting in a lighter sentence of three-and-a-half years, while Liptser was sentenced to five years and Kobzev to five-and-a-half years in a penal colony. Defense attorneys have argued that the prosecution evidence was essentially an unlawful violation of attorney-client confidentiality, as eavesdropping on such communications is explicitly prohibited by law.
The trials took place near the high-security facility in Pokrov where Navalny was held after his return to Russia in January 2021, following a poisoning incident for which he holds President Vladimir Putin accountable. Despite these accusations, the Kremlin has denied any involvement in Navalny's poisoning. After his passing, his widow, Yulia Navalnaya, attributed his death to the Russian state, while authorities labeled it a case of "sudden death syndrome." The recent verdicts highlight ongoing challenges to the rule of law in Russia and the repercussions faced by those associated with opposition figures.
