In January, Navalny's lawyers were found guilty in the case of participation in the «extremist community» FBK**. Vadim Kobzev was sentenced to 5.5 years in a colony, Alexei Liptser to 5 years, and Igor Sergunin to 3.5 years.
During the appeal hearing in the Vladimir Regional Court, the prosecution demanded to toughen the punishment. As reported from the courtroom by a «Mediazona» correspondent***, prosecutor Kolotilova demanded to cancel the mitigating circumstances and toughen the sentence for Igor Sergunin, who admitted guilt and cooperated with the investigation. She stated that all evidence was collected without Sergunin's testimony «under conditions of obviousness». The state prosecutor also asked to toughen the punishment for Vadim Kobzev and Alexei Liptser, allegedly because the mitigating circumstance «difficult financial situation of the family» was not proven.
The court refused to attach the conclusion of the bar association's commission signed by Henry Reznik. The panel of judges agreed with prosecutor Kolotilova, who stated that «the assessment of the court decision is given by higher courts».
Igor Sergunin, in his complaint, asks to overturn the sentence and release him from punishment, as he «voluntarily ceased participation in the activities of the extremist community» in December 2022, terminating the agreement with Navalny after visiting him in the colony.
The defense of Vadim Kobzev noted that Navalny's communication with FBK employees «on everyday issues» cannot be participation in the «extremist community». Moreover, this communication was not interrupted by FSIN operatives for years, and Navalny corresponded with supporters, including through regular letters subject to censorship.
Alexei Liptser's lawyer writes in his complaint that Navalny was found guilty of organizing an «extremist community» only in August 2023. This was a year after Liptser stopped visiting him in the colony, the last time he was there was in June 2022.
Lawyer Anna Stavitskaya noted that the sentence copies the indictment. According to her calculations, there are only 15 new pages, and 215 pages are verbatim taken from the indictment «retaining the same stylistic turns, errors».
* Included in the list of «extremists and terrorists».
** Recognized in Russia as an «extremist organization».
*** Recognized in Russia as a «foreign agent».
Photo: Mediazona