Support The Moscow Times!

Russia Detains 3 Navalny Lawyers

Alexei Navalny during a prison court trial. Sofya Sandurskaya / TASS

Russia on Friday detained three lawyers of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny and raided their homes, aides said, the latest in a crackdown boosted after Moscow's Ukraine assault.

Navalny is Russia's most prominent opposition politician and mobilized huge anti-government rallies before he was jailed in 2021 on fraud charges that his allies at home and abroad say are punitive.

"All these steps are taken to completely isolate Navalny," said Ivan Zhdanov, an exiled ally.

Lawyers Vadim Kobzev, Igor Sergunin and Alexey Liptser, who have all defended Navalny in the past, have been remanded in pre-trial detention until at least Dec. 13.

Kobzev was due in court on Friday to represent Navalny in a lawsuit he has launched against his prison, but several aides said he was absent.

"This is why it's all being done: so that Alexei is left without legal protection, without a connection to the outside world," Navalny spokeswoman Kira Yarmysh said.

"And to send a signal to other lawyers: it is dangerous to defend him and other political prisoners."

In August, Navalny received a 19-year jail term in a maximum security prison on extremism charges.

Jailed near Moscow, Navalny communicates with the outside world through his lawyers.

He will soon be moved to a "special regime" colony — the harshest type of prison reserved for Russia's worst criminals that will severely limit his contact with lawyers and family.

Most of Russia's high-profile activists are in exile or behind bars but cases targeting their lawyers have been rare.

Friday's searches were conducted as part of a case for "participating in extremist activities," the head of the legal department at Navalny's Anti-Corruption Foundation Vyacheslav Gimadi said.

Navalny's political offices were designated "extremist organizations" in 2021, which put employees, volunteers and supporters at risk of prosecution.

"Lawyers do not engage in politics," Gimadi said.

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysis and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview
Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy

A Message from The Moscow Times:

Dear readers,

We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."

These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.

By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.

Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
paiment methods
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.

Read more