Russia sentences Alexei Navalny's lawyers to prison

Lawyers jailed for relaying Navalny's messages amid crackdown.

Igor Sergunin, Alexei Liptser, and Vadim Kobzev, former lawyers for the late opposition leader Alexei Navalny, appear in the defendants' cage during their trial on charges of participating in an "extremist" organization in Petushki, Vladimir region, on September 12, 2024. Photo by Alexander Nemenov/AFP/Getty Images

By Clarisa Sendy and Widya Putri

In a move that underscores Russia's intensifying crackdown on dissent, three lawyers who defended the late opposition leader Alexei Navalny were sentenced to several years in prison on Friday. The charges against Vadim Kobzev, Alexei Liptser, and Igor Sergunin stemmed from their efforts to relay Navalny’s messages from prison to the outside world.

The verdict has drawn widespread condemnation from human rights groups and Western governments, who see it as a chilling escalation targeting not just political dissidents but also those defending them.

A court in the town of Petushki, located approximately 115 kilometers east of Moscow, convicted the three lawyers of participating in an "extremist organization." Kobzev, a prominent member of Navalny’s legal team, received a five-and-a-half-year sentence. Liptser was sentenced to five years, and Sergunin to three and a half years.

According to the court, the lawyers used their visits to Navalny in prison to transfer information between him and his supporters, including individuals wanted by Russian authorities and those in exile. The court alleged that this enabled Navalny to orchestrate “extremist crimes” from his maximum-security prison.

Kobzev, addressing the court last week, dismissed the charges as politically motivated. "We are on trial for passing Navalny's thoughts to other people," he said, according to Novaya Gazeta.

The sentences have sparked outrage in Western capitals. The United States, France, Germany, and Britain were among the countries that criticized the verdict.

U.S. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller called the sentencing "another example of the Kremlin’s efforts to undermine human rights, suppress dissent, and subvert the rule of law."

France’s foreign ministry described the court’s decision as an act of "intimidation against the legal profession," while Germany highlighted the “harsh persecution” faced by those defending others under Russian law.

David Lammy, Britain’s foreign minister, urged Moscow to release all political prisoners, including the jailed lawyers.

The imprisonment of Navalny’s lawyers is the latest chapter in the Kremlin’s relentless campaign against dissent. Navalny, President Vladimir Putin’s most prominent critic, was serving a 19-year sentence before his unexplained death in a remote Arctic prison colony in February 2024.

Despite his death, Navalny’s associates and legal team have continued to face persecution. His widow, Yulia Navalnaya, denounced the lawyers’ sentences, calling them "political prisoners" and demanding their immediate release.

Last October, Navalny himself condemned the arrests of his legal team, accusing the Kremlin of attempting to isolate him further.

The OVD rights group, which monitors political repression in Russia, warned that the convictions signal a dangerous shift. "The authorities are now essentially outlawing the defense of politically persecuted individuals," the group said in a statement. "This risks destroying what little remains of the rule of law in Russia."

Navalny, a lawyer by training, gained prominence through his scathing critiques of government corruption and his ability to galvanize opposition movements. Even from prison, he continued to denounce Putin’s policies, including the Kremlin’s invasion of Ukraine, which he described as "criminal."

His messages, often passed through his lawyers, were a lifeline for his supporters. But the court’s ruling now raises questions about whether defending political prisoners in Russia has become too dangerous to pursue.

Kobzev, speaking in court, likened the current climate to the Stalin-era repression of the 1930s. "Eighty years have passed, and people are once again on trial for discrediting officials and state agencies," he said.

Navalny's continued posthumous persecution

Even after Navalny’s death, the Russian government has not relented in its campaign against him. His widow revealed last week that authorities refused to remove Navalny from their list of terrorists and extremists.

A letter from Rosfinmonitoring, Russia’s financial watchdog, confirmed that Navalny remained under investigation for money laundering and "financing terrorism." Navalnaya called the decision a deliberate attempt by Putin to intimidate his critics.

"Why does Putin need this? Not to stop Alexei from opening a bank account," Navalnaya said. "Putin is doing this to scare you."

The imprisonment of Navalny’s lawyers marks a significant escalation in the Kremlin’s suppression of dissent. While the defense of political prisoners has long been fraught with challenges in Russia, Friday’s verdict sets a troubling precedent.

Rights groups fear that targeting legal representatives could further erode what remains of Russia’s independent legal system, leaving political prisoners more isolated and vulnerable.

As international criticism mounts, the Kremlin remains unyielding in its efforts to silence opposition voices. For the families of Navalny and his legal team, however, the fight for justice continues, even in the face of overwhelming adversity.