A Russian court is set to sentence three lawyers who worked for opposition politician Aleksei Navalny and were charged in 2023 with "extremism" charges.
The sentencing hearing for lawyers Vadim Kobzev, Alexei Liptser, and Igor Sergunin is scheduled to begin on January 10 at 10:00 a.m. local time in the Vladimir region east of Moscow.
They are accused of participating in an "extremist" organization, a charge that carries a maximum sentence of six years in jail. Prosecutors are demanding jail terms of at least five years for each of the lawyers. They are expected to be found guilty as acquittals are practically unheard of in Russian courts, especially in political cases.
Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK) and Navalny’s other groups were labeled as extremist and banned in Russia in 2021.
The trial of Kobzev, Sergunin, and Liptser began in September and was held behind closed doors, however the sentencing is to be open to the media.
Investigators said the lawyers used their “status" to pass messages between Navalny and his associates, helping him to “conduct extremist activities from behind bars." Two other former lawyers for Navalny, Aleksandra Fedulova and Olga Mikhailova, fled Russia last year.
Before his death, Navalny condemned the arrest of the lawyers as "outrageous," saying it was part of a campaign to further isolate him in jail.
The Kremlin critic died in suspicious circumstances in an Arctic prison colony in February 2024. His associates have said he was killed, most likely on the Kremlin's command, which the Kremlin has vehemently denied.
Navalny was able to communicate from his jail cell, with his criticism of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine and sarcastic comments, often about the conditions he was held in, appearing on social media.
Kobzev was the most high-profile member of Navalny's legal team defending him in court. He also released statements on Navalny's health in prison.