Crackdown on Navalny Allies: A New Era of Soviet-Style Suppression

Three lawyers of the late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny have been imprisoned in Russia amidst an intensified crackdown that mirrors Soviet-era repression. Charged with involvement in extremist groups, the legal team's sentencing is viewed as a warning to opposition defense attorneys.

In a stark move indicative of Russia's escalating crackdown on dissent, three lawyers who once defended the late opposition figure Alexei Navalny have been sentenced to jail. Friday's court decision further illustrates the Kremlin's aggressive stance against critics.

The lawyers, Vadim Kobzev, Igor Sergunin, and Alexei Liptser, received prison terms ranging from 3 1/2 to five years for alleged involvement with what authorities label as extremist groups linked to Navalny. This case, outlined by many as politically driven, adds pressure on defense teams handling similar cases in Moscow.

Human rights and Kremlin critics roundly condemn the actions, viewing them as part of a historical pattern intended to quash political dissent. Observers explain the charges against these lawyers stem from accusations that they communicated Navalny's messages to his supporters.

(With inputs from agencies.)