The Russian judiciary has begun a criminal trial against three defenders of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny, who died in custody. In the proceedings in the small town of Petushki, about 120 kilometers east of Moscow, they are accused of belonging to an extremist organization – the Anti-Corruption Fund (FBK) founded by Navalny. According to trial observers, the presiding judge excluded the public from the trial against Vadim Kobzev, Alexei Lipzer and Igor Sergunin after a short time. She cited a warning from the police about alleged provocations by Navalny supporters as the reason.
Under Russian criminal law, the three lawyers face two to six years in prison and a ban on practicing their profession for several years. The defense attorneys were arrested in October 2023, when trials against their already imprisoned client Navalny were still ongoing. With this step, the Russian judiciary wanted to completely isolate the Kremlin critic, FBK director Ivan Zhdanov suspected at the time. Navalny had also communicated with the public from prison. He died in February 2024 under unclear circumstances in a Russian penal camp in the Arctic Circle.
Civil rights activists warn that the persecution of lawyers for opposition figures and dissidents further undermines the rule of law in Russia.
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