Russian Court Sentences Navalny's Lawyers: A Harsh Crackdown on Dissent

In a move reflecting the Kremlin's relentless pursuit of dissent, three lawyers who represented Aleksei Navalny have been sentenced to prison for allegedly passing on his correspondence. This sentencing serves as a somber reminder of the regime's oppressive tactics even after Navalny's death.

A Russian court has handed down sentences to three lawyers who represented the late opposition leader Aleksei A. Navalny, imposing prison terms of up to five and a half years for passing on correspondence from him to allies. This ruling underscores the Kremlin's continued crackdown on dissent, even in the wake of Navalny's death last year while imprisoned.

The trio of lawyers—Vadim Kobzev, Igor Sergunin, and Aleksei Liptser—were arrested in October 2023, during the time Navalny was incarcerated in a high-security prison in Siberia. Their conviction on charges of involvement in an extremist group, as reported by Russian news agencies, further reveals the authorities' commitment to isolating both Navalny and those loyal to him.

Despite being imprisoned, Navalny remained a highly influential figure in the Russian opposition, openly challenging President Vladimir V. Putin's regime. The authorities had previously categorized his nationwide movement as extremist, shortly before the invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

In relation to the court decision, Kobzev received the harshest sentence of five and a half years, while Liptser was sentenced to five years. Sergunin, who pleaded guilty, received a sentence of three and a half years. Yulia Navalnaya, Navalny's widow, expressed her discontent, labeling the lawyers as political prisoners and demanding their release. Meanwhile, Lyubov Sobol, a prominent ally of Navalny, condemned the verdict as politically motivated revenge against those who steadfastly supported the opposition leader.