A Russian court has handed down prison sentences to three lawyers who represented the deceased opposition leader Alexei Navalny, citing their alleged participation in an extremist organization.

In October 2023, Igor Sergunin, Alexei Liptser, and Vadim Kobzev were detained and later added to an official 'terrorists and extremists' list in the following month.

The court imposed sentences of 3.5, 5, and 5.5 years, respectively, after a closed trial in the Vladimir region.

Their sentencing has drawn criticism from human rights organizations and foreign governments, including the United States, which condemned the convictions as an assault on legal representation for political detainees.

The lawyers were charged with assisting Navalny in continuing his political activities from prison, a claim that has been rejected as politically motivated.

Yulia Navalnaya, Alexei Navalny's widow, labeled the three men as 'political prisoners' and called for their immediate release.

Human rights organization OVD-Info declared that the case marks a perilous increase in the repression of dissenters under President Vladimir Putin's administration.

Even while imprisoned, Navalny, who passed away in February 2024, continued speaking out against the government through his lawyers and legal efforts, including lawsuits about his prison conditions.

Critics view the prosecution of his lawyers as part of a wider strategy to suppress those who challenge the Kremlin.

The Kremlin has declined to comment on this particular case, but authorities have previously depicted Navalny and his followers as destabilizing forces supported by Western nations.