Former Lawyers of Navalny Receive Prison Sentences in Russia
Three attorneys have been convicted of assisting an opposition figure in leading an extremist group while incarcerated. Read Full Article at RT.com.
TroibNews 
Three attorneys have been convicted for their roles in assisting a prominent opposition figure in orchestrating an extremist group from prison.
A Russian court has handed down sentences ranging from 3.5 to 5.5 years of imprisonment to three former lawyers of the late opposition leader Alexey Navalny.
The judge, who delivered the verdict on Friday, sentenced Vadim Kobzev to 5.5 years in a general regime penal colony, while Aleksey Liptser received a five-year sentence and Igor Sergunin was given three years. Additionally, all three lawyers have been prohibited from providing legal services for three years.
During a closed-door trial that began in September at a district court in the Vladimir Region, both Kobzev and Liptser maintained their innocence, whereas Sergunin admitted guilt.
Prosecutors alleged that the lawyers enabled Navalny to manage his organization while he was incarcerated at a penal colony in the Vladimir Region from 2021 to 2023, before he was transferred to another prison in the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Region in the north.
Kobzev, Liptser, and Sergunin were described by prosecutors as members of Navalny’s “extremist community,” using their meetings with him to relay messages between him and his associates from the Anti-Corruption Foundation.
The defense for the three attorneys has stated that they plan to appeal the verdict after consulting with their clients.
In addition, arrest warrants were issued for two other attorneys representing Navalny – Olga Mikhailova and Aleksandr Fedolov – both of whom are on a wanted list due to similar allegations of involvement with an extremist organization.
Navalny himself was serving a substantial prison sentence for violations linked to a prior fraud conviction and his involvement in “extremist activities.” He died in custody in February 2024.
According to the prison authorities, the 47-year-old experienced sudden illness during a walk and collapsed, with resuscitation efforts proving unsuccessful. Navalny's widow reported receiving a letter from Russia's Investigative Committee stating that her husband's death “was not criminal in nature” but attributed it to health complications exacerbated by several chronic conditions.
Mathilde Moreau contributed to this report for TROIB News
A Russian court has handed down sentences ranging from 3.5 to 5.5 years of imprisonment to three former lawyers of the late opposition leader Alexey Navalny.
The judge, who delivered the verdict on Friday, sentenced Vadim Kobzev to 5.5 years in a general regime penal colony, while Aleksey Liptser received a five-year sentence and Igor Sergunin was given three years. Additionally, all three lawyers have been prohibited from providing legal services for three years.
During a closed-door trial that began in September at a district court in the Vladimir Region, both Kobzev and Liptser maintained their innocence, whereas Sergunin admitted guilt.
Prosecutors alleged that the lawyers enabled Navalny to manage his organization while he was incarcerated at a penal colony in the Vladimir Region from 2021 to 2023, before he was transferred to another prison in the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Region in the north.
Kobzev, Liptser, and Sergunin were described by prosecutors as members of Navalny’s “extremist community,” using their meetings with him to relay messages between him and his associates from the Anti-Corruption Foundation.
The defense for the three attorneys has stated that they plan to appeal the verdict after consulting with their clients.
In addition, arrest warrants were issued for two other attorneys representing Navalny – Olga Mikhailova and Aleksandr Fedolov – both of whom are on a wanted list due to similar allegations of involvement with an extremist organization.
Navalny himself was serving a substantial prison sentence for violations linked to a prior fraud conviction and his involvement in “extremist activities.” He died in custody in February 2024.
According to the prison authorities, the 47-year-old experienced sudden illness during a walk and collapsed, with resuscitation efforts proving unsuccessful. Navalny's widow reported receiving a letter from Russia's Investigative Committee stating that her husband's death “was not criminal in nature” but attributed it to health complications exacerbated by several chronic conditions.
Mathilde Moreau contributed to this report for TROIB News
