Kremlin Courts Clamp Down on Alexei Navalny’s Legal Team

Three lawyers who once represented Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny are on trial for alleged involvement in an extremist group. Their detention is part of a broader Kremlin crackdown on dissent. The trial has been moved from Moscow to a more remote location, drawing criticism from rights advocates.

Three lawyers who once represented the late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny went on trial Thursday in Russia, a move indicative of the Kremlin's intensifying crackdown on dissent. Lawyers Vadim Kobzev, Igor Sergunin, and Alexei Liptser, detained in October 2023 on charges related to extremist activities, are the focal points of this contentious legal battle.

The charges against Navalny's legal team are viewed widely as a strategy to heighten pressure on the Kremlin's most steadfast adversary and to discourage other lawyers from engaging in politically sensitive defenses. Navalny, arrested in January 2021 after returning from Germany, was already serving an extensive 19-year sentence, exacerbated by accusations of extremism, which his supporters decry as politically motivated.

The trial is taking place in Petushki, 100 kilometers east of Moscow, rather than the more accessible capital city where the lawyers were initially detained. This relocation has received considerable backlash from both the defense and human rights organizations, who argue it restricts access and transparency. The Petushki court has further ordered the proceedings to be closed to media and public scrutiny, sparking further outcry.

(With inputs from agencies.)