Russia Jails Navalny's Lawyers for Extremism, Sentenced to Up to 5.5 Years

Jan 17, 2025, 12:39 PM

A Russian court has sentenced three former lawyers of the late opposition leader Alexei Navalny to prison terms ranging from 3.5 to 5.5 years on charges of participating in an extremist organization. The lawyers—Vadim Kobzev, Alexei Liptser, and Igor Sergunin—were arrested in October 2023 and accused of passing messages from Navalny while he was imprisoned, which were used to produce his posthumously published book "The Patriot." Navalny, a prominent critic of President Vladimir Putin, died in February 2024 under unclear circumstances in an Arctic prison camp. The sentencing of his lawyers underscores the Kremlin's escalating crackdown on dissent, drawing condemnation from the United States and the European Union. Navalny's widow, Julia Navalnaya, has called for their immediate release, stating that they are political prisoners.