Russia puts late opposition leader Alexey Navalny’s lawyers on trial

Three lawyers who once represented the late Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny are on trial in Russia facing "extremism" charges.

Vadim Kobzev, Igor Sergunin, and Alexei Liptser were seen in a defendant's metal cage at a district court just east of Moscow on Thursday. Before proceedings could advance, Judge Yulia Shilova approved the prosecution’s request to hold the session behind closed doors.

The three lawyers, who could face up to six years in prison, were arrested in October of last year and have remained in pre-trial detention. In November, they were placed on Russia’s list of “terrorists and extremists.”

Authorities accuse them of transmitting messages between Navalny and his associates, allegedly aiding him in continuing his political activities despite being imprisoned. Navalny’s team had claimed at the time that the lawyers’ arrests were part of an effort to further isolate him, as he spent much of his imprisonment in solitary confinement.

At a pre-trial hearing, independent media reported that Sergunin pleaded guilty, while Kobzev and Liptser denied the charges.

Navalny’s death
In February, Navalny, aged 47, died under unclear circumstances while in an Arctic prison colony, where he was serving a 19-year sentence for leading an “extremist” organization. The Kremlin has denied allegations from Navalny’s allies that President Vladimir Putin ordered his killing in prison.

Before his death, discussions were reportedly taking place between Moscow and Western countries about a possible prisoner exchange involving Navalny.

Since his death, Russian authorities have intensified their crackdown on Navalny’s supporters, targeting his allies, family members, and journalists. His wife, Yulia Navalnaya, has also been placed on a “terrorists and extremists” blacklist.

Navalny had spent more than a decade opposing the Kremlin, leading large anti-government protests. In 2020, he narrowly survived a poisoning during a campaign trip to Siberia. An investigation by Navalny’s team, along with reports from Western and Russian media, linked the assassination attempt to Russian security agents.

Many of Navalny’s former allies, including Navalnaya, who has vowed to continue his work, now live in exile.