Kobzev received 5½ years in prison; Liptser was given five years and Igor Sergunin, who pleaded guilty, got 3½ years. They were also barred from practicing law for three years after their release.
Other lawyers for Navalny or representing Russian journalists and dissidents have been forced to flee the country to avoid arrest, demonstrating a growing crackdown on legal professionals in Russia.
Lipster told journalists after the sentencing, 'What can you say? Everything is expected,' reflecting the pervasive environment of fear and repression faced by the opposition.
Navalny's lead lawyer, Olga Mikhailova, was outside the country when police arrested the others, showing how the legal environment has become so hostile that even those abroad are not safe.
Collection
[
|
...
]