A Russian court has convicted three lawyers who represented opposition leader Alexey Navalny, who died in a prison in the Arctic last year, for allegedly being part of an “extremist group”. The lawyers, Igor Sergunin, Alexei Liptser, and Vadim Kobzev, were sentenced to prison terms of three-and-a-half, five, and five-and-a-half years respectively, in a trial held behind closed doors in Petushki.
Prosecutors claimed the lawyers used their professional status to pass on letters written by Navalny while he was imprisoned, thus enabling him to maintain leadership of what the authorities deemed an “extremist organisation”. The charges, which stemmed from the lawyers’ association with Navalny’s anti-corruption foundation, have sparked widespread condemnation, including from human rights groups and Western governments. These groups argue that the sentences reflect the Kremlin’s ongoing crackdown on opposition figures and activists critical of Russian President Vladimir Putin and his policies, particularly regarding the war in Ukraine.
The verdict comes nearly a year after Navalny’s sudden death in February while serving a 19-year sentence for extremism charges that he vehemently denied. The Russian prison service reported that Navalny “felt unwell after a walk,” but many in the West, along with Navalny’s allies, hold President Putin responsible for his death, alleging foul play. Navalny, a prominent anti-corruption campaigner, had been an outspoken critic of the Russian government, and his supporters claim that his poisoning and subsequent incarceration were part of a targeted effort to silence him.
Human rights organisations have condemned the court’s decision to imprison Navalny’s lawyers, highlighting the dangers to legal defence and the erosion of basic rights under Putin’s regime. Amnesty International described the sentencing as a “shameful attempt to silence those who dared to defend Navalny”. The organisation pointed to the case as part of a broader pattern of abuse against legal professionals in Russia, stating that by targeting these lawyers for doing their jobs, the Russian authorities are dismantling the remaining traces of the right to a fair legal defence.
Amnesty also highlighted that the charges of extremism against the lawyers were based on their involvement in passing Navalny’s letters to his associates, and their connection with the Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK), which the Russian government designated as an “extremist organisation”. Amnesty deemed the designation of the FBK as arbitrary and politically motivated, aimed at stifling dissent and suppressing opposition to the Putin administration.
The United States also condemned the sentencing, with the US State Department describing it as “yet another example of the persecution of defence lawyers by the Kremlin”. The US government called on Russian authorities to release the lawyers immediately, arguing that their conviction was part of a larger effort to subvert the rule of law and suppress opposition voices in Russia. The US further called the proceedings a violation of the right to legal defence, an essential cornerstone of a fair justice system.
On Friday, Yulia Navalnaya, the widow of Alexey Navalny, expressed outrage over the sentences, calling the lawyers “political prisoners” and demanding their immediate release. She condemned the Russian authorities for their treatment of the legal team, which had been tirelessly working to defend her husband’s rights throughout his incarceration. She also stressed that this case was emblematic of the ongoing repression that those associated with Navalny continue to face, both inside and outside of prison.
More Read
The lawyers’ convictions follow a wider trend of increasing repression in Russia against those associated with Navalny. In April of the previous year, two Russian journalists, Konstantin Gabov and Sergey Karelin, were accused of creating content for Navalny’s popular YouTube channel, which has played a key role in exposing corruption within the Russian government. Their content, which investigates the activities of high-ranking officials, has garnered millions of views and sparked outrage among the Kremlin.
Navalny himself had returned to Russia in January 2021 after recovering in Germany from a poisoning attempt that many attribute to the Russian state. Upon his return, he was promptly arrested and later sentenced on charges of embezzlement and extremism. His death just weeks before Putin’s re-election in March 2024 raised further suspicions that the Kremlin had orchestrated a concerted effort to eliminate one of its most vocal critics.
As Russia’s legal system continues to come under scrutiny, the case of Navalny’s lawyers further highlights the Kremlin’s broader strategy to stifle opposition and curtail freedoms. The increasing criminalisation of legal defence and opposition figures indicates a grim future for political dissent in Russia, as the government tightens its grip on power and silences those who dare to speak out
