Navalny's Lawyers Jailed for Sharing His Letters

 A Russian court has ruled that the lawyers of Aleksei Navalny, the prominent opposition leader who died in a penal colony last year, were guilty of participating in an extremist organization.



A Russian court sentenced three attorneys representing the late opposition leader Aleksei A. Navalny to up to five and a half years in prison for relaying messages from him to his supporters, highlighting the Kremlin's ongoing efforts to target his associates even after his death.


The three lawyers—Vadim Kobzev, Igor Sergunin, and Aleksei Liptser—were detained in October 2023 while Mr. Navalny was incarcerated in a high-security prison in Siberia, signaling the Kremlin's determination to cut off Mr. Navalny’s connections to the outside world.


The court in Petushki, located approximately 80 miles east of Moscow, found the three lawyers guilty of being part of an extremist group, as reported by Russian news agencies from the courtroom.


Despite being imprisoned, Mr. Navalny remained the most prominent opposition figure in Russia, boldly opposing President Vladimir V. Putin's regime, while authorities labeled his nationwide movement as extremist just before the 2022 Ukraine invasion.


Mr. Kobzev received a five and a half year sentence, Mr. Liptser was sentenced to five years, and Igor Sergunin, who was the only one to admit guilt, received three and a half years.


Yulia Navalnaya, Mr. Navalny’s widow, addressed the press on Friday, declaring the three lawyers to be political prisoners and calling for their liberation. Lyubov Sobol, a close ally of Mr. Navalny, stated on X that the verdict was “ordered by the Kremlin and aims to take revenge on those who remained loyal to Navalny until the end.”


During the trial, prosecutors alleged that the lawyers “misused their roles” to forward Mr. Navalny’s messages from a prison facility in Petushki—where he stayed before his transfer to Siberia—to his supporters within Russia and abroad.


The court concurred with the prosecution's argument that their actions enabled Mr. Navalny to fulfill his responsibilities as the leader of an extremist organization.


Two additional lawyers representing Mr. Navalny, Olga Mikhailova and Alexandr Fedulov, have been charged in absentia after fleeing the country, and their case is still pending.


At the time of his death at a high-security prison colony in February of last year, Mr. Navalny was serving a 19-year sentence on multiple charges. The Russian authorities ascribed his death to various ailments worsened by heart arrhythmia, a conclusion vehemently disputed by his family and allies, with Ms. Navalnaya indicating state culpability for his death.


Several letters and prison diaries that the lawyers assisted in sending out from Petushki were incorporated into Mr. Navalny’s memoir, which was released posthumously late last year.


During the trial, Mr. Navalny’s attorneys contended that they faced prosecution for typical legal activities, such as communicating between a client and their family or associates.


Mr. Kobzev, who closely collaborated with the opposition leader, shared with the court, “We are on trial for conveying Navalny’s thoughts to others,” as reported by the Novaya Gazeta newspaper.


The three lawyers were placed in a cage during the courtroom proceedings, and at the commencement of the hearing on Friday, supporters exclaimed, “We’re proud of you! You’re Russia’s best people!” while they smiled at followers and reporters, according to footage shared on social media.


In a bid to minimize the display of support, authorities detained four journalists and one supporter on Friday morning as they arrived by train in Petushki. According to Mediazona, a Russian independent media outlet, they were released without facing any charges after the verdict was delivered. The legal actions against the attorneys align with the Kremlin’s strategy to marginalize Mr. Navalny, who has managed to remain a significant figure in Russian politics despite being imprisoned, along with his Anti-Corruption Foundation. Attorneys who defended their three colleagues informed reporters outside the courthouse that they were undeterred by the prosecution. “Circumstances can change, but being a lawyer isn’t about being afraid,” stated Denis Leisle, who represents Mr. Liptser, in comments to Mediazona. Ivan Zhdanov, the head of the Anti-Corruption Foundation, warned that the ruling could create a perilous precedent for the country's legal system, as individuals might face repercussions for something as seemingly harmless as sharing correspondence. “Lawyers were already aware that their meetings with clients were under surveillance,” he posted on his Telegram channel. “Now they will understand that they are being monitored and recorded, and that this information could potentially be employed against them in court to secure a conviction.


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