Russia - Sentencing of Alexei Liptser, Igor Sergunin and Vadim Kobzev (17 January 2025)

France strongly condemns the sentencing of three former lawyers of Alexei Navalny - Alexei Liptser, Igor Sergunin and Vadim Kobzev - to between three-and-a-half and five-and-a-half years' imprisonment for "taking part in an extremist organization".

With the Russian regime systematically attempting to silence voices opposing its repressive policy and its war of aggression in Ukraine, these sentences represent a further act of intimidation against the lawyers' profession as a whole, aimed at deterring it from ensuring the rights of the defence. France recalls that this is a basic right which Russia is obliged to respect under its international obligations.

France lends and will continue to lend its support to those who defend freedoms. It calls on the Russian authorities to comply with their international commitments and immediately and unconditionally release all political prisoners.