Three lawyers for Alexei Navalny, the main opponent of President Vladimir Putin who died in February 2024 in unclear circumstances, are due to hear their verdict on Friday in Russia. Accused of "extremism" for allegedly passing on information to Navalny that facilitated the preparation of similar crimes from his cell, they risk more than five years in prison.
The trial, which has been taking place since mid-September in a court in Petushki, Vladimir region, has been held almost entirely behind closed doors. Arrested in October 2023, while Navalny was still alive, the lawyers had been placed on the official list of “extremists”. According to independent Russian media, one of them pleaded guilty, but the other two deny these accusations.
The death of Alexei Navalny in custody on February 16, 2024, has reinforced suspicions of repression targeting opponents in Russia. Since the launch of the offensive in Ukraine in February 2022, the authorities have increased the number of prosecutions against any dissenting voice. Opposition lawyers, once tolerated, are now going into exile to avoid threats and prison.
Amnesty International and other international organizations are calling on Moscow to drop the charges. Despite Alexei Navalny's death, his widow Yulia Navalnaya and his former collaborators, who have fled abroad, continue to work to defend his legacy, but are struggling to unite a splintered opposition.
