Russia sends lawyers who defended Alexei Navalny to jail
What's the story
Russia has sentenced three lawyers of late opposition leader Alexei Navalny to prison terms for transmitting his messages from prison to the outside world.
Vadim Kobzev, Alexei Liptser, and Igor Sergunin were convicted of being part of an "extremist organization" by a Petushki court. Kobzev was sentenced to five-and-a-half years, Liptser five years, and Sergunin three-and-a-half years.
The sentences come nearly a year after his unexplained death in an Arctic prison colony last February.
Sentencing details
Lawyers sentenced for participating in 'extremist organization'
Navalny had communicated with the outside world via his lawyers while serving a 19-year sentence. His messages were shared on social media by his team.
Passing messages through lawyers is common in Russian prisons.
The case, which comes amid a massive crackdown on dissent during the Ukraine offensive, has frightened rights groups, who fear Moscow may increase trials against legal representation while also imprisoning their clients.
Global reaction
International condemnation and local defense of sentenced lawyers
Navalny's widow, Yulia Navalnaya, called the lawyers "political prisoners" and demanded their release.
The US, Britain, France, and Germany also condemned the sentences.
US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said it was "yet another example of the persecution of defense lawyers by the Kremlin," while France's foreign ministry called the ruling "yet another act of intimidation against the legal profession."
Warning issued
Rights group warns of increasing danger in defending political prisoners
The OVD rights group warned that defending political prisoners is becoming increasingly dangerous in Russia.
They said authorities are effectively outlawing such defense efforts, risking the destruction of what remains of the rule of law.
Acccording to reports, the trial was conducted behind closed doors near the Pokrov prison where Navalny was previously held.
A court statement accused them of using their lawyer status to transfer information between Navalny and an extremist community.