Navalny’s lawyers sentenced to prison terms ranging from 3.5 to 5.5 years on ‘extremism’ charges
A court in Russia’s Vladimir region has sentenced three former lawyers of late opposition leader Alexey Navalny to prison terms of up to 5.5 years on charges of participating in an “extremist organization,” Mediazona reports.
Vadim Kobzev was sentenced to 5.5 years, Alexey Lipster to five years, and Igor Sergunin to 3.5 years. The trial was held behind closed doors.
All three lawyers were arrested in Moscow in October 2023 and have been held in pre-trial detention since then. Investigators allege that they used their professional status to relay messages from Navalny, who was in prison, to his associates. The Russian authorities designated Navalny’s organizations, including the Anti-Corruption Foundation, as “extremist organizations” in 2021.
The lawyers’ sentencing was initially scheduled for January 10 but was later postponed to January 17. Commenting on the timing, Navalny associate Ivan Zhdanov wrote on Telegram:
The sentence for Navalny’s lawyers will be announced at 10:00 a.m. on January 17 — the anniversary of Navalny’s return to Russia and his arrest. And you’re telling me this is just a coincidence, right?