Russian Court Sentences Navalny's Lawyers to 3.5 to 5.5 Years for 'Extremism', Drawing International Condemnation

Jan 17, 2025, 12:39 PM

A Russian court has sentenced three lawyers who defended the late opposition leader Alexei Navalny to prison terms ranging from 3.5 to 5.5 years. Vadim Kobzev, Alexei Liptser, and Igor Sergunin were convicted of participating in an 'extremist organization' and facilitating Navalny's communication with the outside world while he was imprisoned. The trio, arrested in October 2023, were accused of using their status as lawyers to relay messages between Navalny and his allies, enabling him to continue his political activities. The sentencing occurred after a closed-door trial in the town of Petushki. The move has drawn international condemnation, with the United States, France, Germany, and the UK criticizing it as an attempt to suppress dissent and undermine the rule of law. Navalny's widow, Yulia Navalnaya, stated that the lawyers are 'political prisoners and should be freed immediately.' Navalny, who died in February 2024 in an Arctic prison colony, had been serving a 19-year sentence on charges of extremism, which he and his supporters claimed were politically motivated.