Three attorneys who previously defended deceased Russian political opponent Alexei Navalny were imprisoned in Russia on Friday in support of the Kremlin's war on dissent, which has escalated to heights not seen throughout the Soviet era.
Approximately 100 kilometers east of Moscow, in the village of Petushki, a court sentenced Vadim Kobzev, Igor Sergunin, and Alexei Liptser to 3 1/2 to 5 1/2 years in prison. Because authorities believed that Navalny's networks were affiliated with terrorist organizations, they were detained in October 2023 on those allegations.
Many people believed that the case was an attempt to put more strain on opponents in order to limit the number of political cases defense attorneys would take.
Navalny was incarcerated for 19 years at the time for a number of crimes, including radicalism. In February 2023, he passed away in a camp for prisoners in Russia.