On 17 January, the Petushinsky District Court of the Vladimir Region, Russia, sentenced defence lawyers of late Alexei Navalny for performing their professional duties defending Alexei Navalny in the farcical justice system in Russia. Vadim Kobzev, Alexey Liptser and Igor Sergunin were respectively sentenced with 5 and a half, 5 and 3 and a half years in prison for “participation in an extremist community”.

The sentence was announced four years after the same day of Alexei Navalny’s brave return to Russia and his immediate detention, arrest and sentencing following his recovery from an assassination attempt through poisoning in 2020.

This outrageous and absurd politically motivated verdict further demonstrates Russia’s total disregard for the rule of law and the lack of an independent judiciary. The EU strongly condemns criminal prosecution of lawyers for performing their professional duties and trying to weaken further the legal community in Russia. Lawyers must be allowed to practice their profession safely and without fear, including lawyers representing those arrested and sentenced on politically motivated grounds.

Russian authorities must immediately stop the unfounded accelerating repression to respect Russia’s own Constitution and uphold its obligations under international law, including on human rights and freedoms. They and all political prisoners must be immediately and unconditionally released.