Russian Court Lengthens Pretrial Incarceration for Navalny's Attorneys
A Russian court has decided to prolong the pre-incarceration period for three attorneys representing jailed Putin critic Alexei Navalny. The extension will last until August 3, as stated by a court agent to news agency RIA Novosti. The attorneys, Alexei Lipzer, Igor Sergunin, and Vadim Kobsev, could face up to 6 years in jail if accused.
Lipzer, Sergunin, and Kobsev have been held since October, facing charges of "extremism." Their pre-incarceration has been extended repeatedly.
The men are claimed to have given Navalny details that aided him in "plotting, planning, and committing extremist acts from his cell," according to the investigators via RIA Novosti. Kobsev insightfully stated during the trial, "Navalny no longer needs the information. He's already deceased."
Navalny, a significant dissident against Russian President Vladimir Putin, was declared deceased in an Arctic prison on February 16 where he served an 19-year sentence. However, he seemed healthy in a video released the day prior. Navalny's supporters, along with several international politicians, point fingers at the Russian government and Putin for the activist's death.
Human rights advocacy organisation OWD-Info reports that 19,000 Russians have been imprisoned since the Ukraine conflict's start for voicing disapproval of the Kremlin's political efforts. The majority of significant opposition figures either languish in prisons or live abroad, proving the repressive streak of the Kremlin's actions.
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The lengthened pre-trial detention for Navalny's lawyers, including Alexei Lipzer, Igor Sergunin, and Vadim Kobsev, will continue until August 3. This extension comes after repeated pre-incarceration periods due to charges of "extremism." In a trial, Kobsev pointed out that Navalny no longer requires the information his lawyers had provided him.
Source: www.ntv.de
