TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — A Moscow court extended on Thursday pre-trial detentions for three lawyers who once represented imprisoned opposition leader Alexei Navalny. The three were arrested in October on charges of participating in an extremist group, a case widely seen as a means to ramp up pressure on the politician.
The Basmanny District Court ruled that Vadim Kobzev, Igor Sergunin and Alexei Liptser will remain behind bars at least until March 13.
According to Navalny’s allies, authorities accuse the lawyers of using their status as defense attorneys to pass letters from the imprisoned politician to his team. Both Navalny’s Foundation for Fighting Corruption and a vast network of regional offices were outlawed as extremist organizations in 2021, a step that exposed anyone involved with them to prosecution.
Since January 2021, Navalny has been serving a 19-year sentence on charges of extremism. As President Vladimir Putin’s fiercest foe, he campaigned against official corruption and organized major anti-Kremlin protests. His 2021 arrest came upon his return to Moscow from Germany, where he recuperated from nerve agent…
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