Russia Jails Three of Navalny's Lawyers for 3.5 to 5.5 Years on Extremism Charges

Jan 17, 2025, 12:19 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 extremism. The lawyers—Vadim Kobzev, Alexei Liptser, and Igor Sergunin—were arrested in October 2023 and later added to an official list of 'terrorists and extremists'. They were accused of participating in an extremist organization by facilitating Navalny's political activities from prison, including passing messages that contributed to the publication of his posthumous book 'The Patriot'. Navalny died in prison in February 2024 under unclear circumstances. The verdicts, delivered after a closed-door trial, have been condemned internationally, with France, Germany, and Estonia calling for the immediate release of the lawyers and criticizing the escalation of Russia's crackdown on dissent.