Russian Court Jails Lawyers Defending Navalny for Sharing His Messages

A Russian court has sentenced three lawyers who defended opposition leader Alexei Navalny. The lawyers were convicted for passing Navalny’s messages from prison. This ruling is part of a broader crackdown on dissent in Russia. As a result, many fear that Moscow may target more lawyers in the future.

Sentences and Convictions

The court found the lawyers guilty of being involved in an “extremist organisation.” Vadim Kobzev received a sentence of five and a half years in prison. Meanwhile, Alexei Liptser was handed five years, and Igor Sergunin was sentenced to three and a half years.

International Outcry

The sentencing has drawn significant international criticism. The three lawyers were among the few allowed to visit Navalny while he was in prison. They shared his messages with the world, publishing them on his social media to reach a wider audience. Notably, passing messages between prisoners and their lawyers is not illegal in Russia, which made the ruling particularly surprising.

In response, Navalny’s widow, Yulia, called the lawyers “political prisoners” and demanded their immediate release. Western nations, including the United States, the United Kingdom, France, and Germany, also condemned the verdict. U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller stated, “This is yet another example of the persecution of defence lawyers by the Kremlin in its effort to undermine human rights, subvert the rule of law and suppress dissent.”

Global Criticism

UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy called for the release of all political prisoners, while France’s foreign minister described the ruling as “intimidation against the legal profession.” Furthermore, Germany emphasized that even those defending others are now facing harsh persecution.

Closed Trial and Allegations

The trial was held behind closed doors at a court near the Pokrov prison, where Navalny was held before being transferred to a remote Arctic colony. During the trial, Kobzev explained, “We are on trial for passing Navalny’s thoughts to other people.” The court claimed the lawyers facilitated communication with an “extremist community” and allowed Navalny to plan “crimes with an extremist character.”

Navalny’s messages often criticized Russia’s war in Ukraine and encouraged his supporters not to give up. In October 2023, he also condemned the arrest of his lawyers, viewing it as an attempt to isolate him.

Echoes of Stalin’s Era

In his defense, Kobzev compared Russia’s current crackdown on dissent to Stalin-era purges. He remarked, “Eighty years have passed … and in the Petushki court, people are once again on trial for discrediting officials and the state agencies.”