Russia: In prison three lawyers of Alexei Navalni for participation in an extremist organization

Three of the leader of the Russian opposition who died were now found guilty by a Russian court of participation in an extremist organization and sentenced to sentences of 3.5 to 5.5 years in prison, as reported by the Mediazona news network. Vandim Kobzef, Igor Sergunin and Alexei Lipcher, lawyers of Alexei Navalni were arrested in October 2023 and the following month were added to the official list of “terrorists and extremists”. CORVERSE Navalny, who died unexpectedly in an Arctic prison colony last February, had also been convicted of extremism and other charges, all of which he denied. His wife Yulia Navalnaya described lawyers as political prisoners and said they were arrested for simply doing their job. The Kremlin states that it does not comment on individual court cases, but authorities have described Navalni and his supporters as traitors, supported by the West, who want to destabilise Russia. According to Mediazona, Sergunin was sentenced to 3.5 years in prison in a prison colony, Lipcher was sentenced to five years and Kobzef to 5.5 years in prison. Their trial was held behind closed doors.