**Three Former Lawyers of Alexei Navalny Jailed in Russia**
A court in Vladimir Oblast, Russia, has sentenced three former lawyers of opposition leader Alexei Navalny to prison. Vadim Kobzev, Alexei Liptser, and Igor Sergunin were given jail terms ranging from 3.5 to 5.5 years.
They were charged with “extremism” for their work with Navalny’s Anti–Corruption Foundation. This was a key project of Navalny’s, who died in prison last year. The foundation had been investigating corruption among top Russian officials, including President Vladimir Putin and former President Dmitry Medvedev.
**Harsh Repressions in Russia**
The sentence highlights the harsh treatment of opposition voices in Russia. “Extremism” charges are often used to silence critics of the government or Russia’s war in Ukraine. The three lawyers were also barred from practicing law for three years after their prison sentences.
Kobzev got 5.5 years, Liptser got 5 years, and Sergunin got 3.5 years. They were detained last year for allegedly helping imprisoned Navalny communicate with his organization. The Anti-Corruption Foundation was shut down in 2021, but it was relaunched as an international group.
**More Opposition Figures Targeted**
This is not the first time Russia has cracked down on opposition figures. Last week, law enforcement officers raided the home of Illia Yashin’s parents. Yashin had been sentenced to eight and a half years in prison for criticizing Russia’s war crimes in Ukraine, but he was released in a prisoner exchange last year.
Other ex-lawyers of Navalny, Olga Mikhailova and Alexander Fedolov, have left Russia to avoid prosecution. They are wanted by Russian authorities.
Read More @ kyivindependent.com