A trial begins for lawyers who once represented the Kremlin's late foe Alexei Navalny
Three lawyers who once represented the late opposition leader Alexei Navalny have gone on trial in Russia
PETUSHKI, Russia (AP) — Three lawyers who once represented the late opposition leader Alexei Navalny went on trial Thursday in Russia, part of the Kremlin's unrelenting crackdown on dissent that has reached levels unseen since Soviet times.
Vadim Kobzev, Igor Sergunin and Alexei Liptser were arrested in October 2023 on charges of involvement with extremist groups, as Navalny's networks were deemed by authorities.
The case was widely seen as a way to increase pressure on the opposition to discourage defense lawyers from taking political cases.
At the time, Navalny already was serving a 19-year prison term on several criminal convictions, including extremism. That charge stemmed from a 2021 ruling that outlawed his organizations — the Foundation for Fighting Corruption and a network of regional offices — as extremist groups.
