A Russian court has sentenced three lawyers, Vadim Kobzev, Aleksei Liptser, and Igor Sergunin, for their involvement with the late opposition leader Alexei Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK), a decision condemned by human rights organizations, including Amnesty International.
Amnesty International’s Eastern Europe and Central Asia director, Marie Struthers, described the ruling as a “shameful” move to suppress those defending Navalny, a prominent critic of the Russian government. She emphasized that by prosecuting the lawyers for their professional duties, the Russian authorities are undermining the right to legal defense and using the justice system to target human rights advocates.
The three lawyers were arrested in October 2023 on charges of participating in the FBK, which was labeled an “extremist organization” by the Russian government in 2021. Prosecutors argued that the lawyers facilitated communication between Navalny and other members of the FBK, thus supporting the organization’s activities. However, defense lawyer Andrei Grivtsov contended that no extremism was involved in their actions, presenting evidence from a linguistic expert to support their innocence. He further highlighted that the criminal case was based on wiretapped conversations between the lawyers and their client, a practice prohibited under Russian law without exceptions.
Navalny, who had been a central figure in Russia’s opposition movement, had been serving a prison sentence on charges of fraud and extremism. His death in February 2024, following claims of mistreatment in prison, has drawn widespread international condemnation, adding to the scrutiny of Russia’s treatment of political dissidents.
This latest move against the lawyers follows earlier global criticism of Russia’s growing crackdown on legal professionals, with groups like the International Bar Association and Lawyers for Lawyers denouncing the increasing attacks on independent lawyers in the country. These developments raise concerns over the further erosion of the rule of law and human rights protections in Russia.
Lawyer Making Argument Picture by Stockcake
