On January 17, 2025, three lawyers who defended the late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny were sentenced to lengthy prison terms by a Russian court. The three men Vadim Kobzev, Igor Sergunin, and Alexei Liptser were convicted on charges of participating in an “extremist organization” related to their legal work for Navalny, who died under suspicious circumstances in a Russian prison in February 2024.
The trial, which took place in the town of Petushki, east of Moscow, was held behind closed doors, a move that has drawn significant international condemnation. The lawyers were accused of using their status to facilitate communication between Navalny and his colleagues. Their roles as legal representatives of the prominent Kremlin critic were deemed acts of extremism by Russian authorities, a decision that has sparked outrage from human rights organizations and critics of the Russian government.
While Sergunin admitted to the charge and received a relatively lighter sentence of three-and-a-half years, Kobzev and Liptser were not so fortunate. Kobzev was sentenced to five-and-a-half years, and Liptser received a five-year sentence. Their defense teams have argued that the charges were baseless, with Kobzev’s lawyer pointing out that the evidence presented was related to illegal privacy violations, including eavesdropping on privileged conversations between a lawyer and their client a clear violation of legal ethics.
Navalny’s widow, Yulia Navalnaya, condemned the sentences, labeling the lawyers as political prisoners. She called for their immediate release, stating that they were punished for simply doing their jobs. Human rights groups like Amnesty International have also decried the sentences as a clear attack on the right to legal defense, with some comparing it to the repressive tactics of the Soviet era.
This crackdown on Navalny’s supporters follows the Kremlin’s ongoing effort to dismantle his political movement. After Navalny’s return to Russia in 2021, authorities moved swiftly to label his Anti-Corruption Foundation and associated organizations as “extremist,” and his arrest marked the beginning of an intense campaign against his allies. The sentencing of the three lawyers on the anniversary of Navalny’s return to Russia in 2021 adds another layer of suspicion to an already controversial case.
As Russia continues to suppress opposition voices, the plight of Navalny’s lawyers highlights the erosion of legal rights and freedoms in the country. International observers are calling for increased attention to these developments and demanding greater protection for human rights defenders in Russia.
