Three Lawyers for Late Russian Opposition Leader Navalny Sentenced to Prison

Russian court convicts Alexei Navalny's attorneys on charges of extremism, intensifying crackdown on dissent.

Alexei Liptser, Vadim Kobzev, and Igor Sergounine received prison sentences ranging from 3.5 to 5.5 years for alleged involvement in Navalny's organization, deemed extremist by Russian authorities.
The charges stem from claims that the lawyers transmitted information enabling Navalny to plan extremist activities while imprisoned.
The trial took place behind closed doors, with one lawyer, Igor Sergounine, pleading guilty, while the others maintained their innocence.
Critics, including Amnesty International and Navalny's widow, Yulia Navalnaya, have condemned the sentences as politically motivated and a violation of attorney-client privilege.
This marks an escalation in Russia's suppression of dissent, with increasing pressure on lawyers representing opposition figures since the invasion of Ukraine in 2022.