The Ministry of Justice warned lawyers against actions in support of Navalny’s defenders

Deputy Minister of Justice Maxim Beskhmelnitsyn warned lawyers that petitions, “preventive actions” and “suspension of procedural actions,” called for by “various kinds of activists” against the background of the arrests of three lawyers of Alexei Navalny, could “further undermine trust in the legal profession as an institution.” On October 13, lawyers Alexei Liptser, Igor Sergunin and Vadim Kobzev were arrested for two months on charges of participation in an extremist community.

According to Maxim Beshmelnitsyn, quoted by Interfax, refusal to participate in procedural actions will be a violation of the law on the legal profession. He also urged his colleagues not to forget that there are professional requirements and ethical criteria for lawyers.

“Today, some figures are artificially trying to create intrigue and cause public outcry by talking about violations of the rights of lawyers. In fact, we see that a number of lawyers have been charged with committing extremist crimes, and they have used their procedural status,” he added.

Today, October 16, Russian lawyers are on the website Legal Petition published an open appeal to their colleagues, calling on them to carry out a “preventive action” and stop participating in procedural actions of all types of legal proceedings.

The appeal also states that in Russia, law enforcement agencies and courts prosecute lawyers for their professional activities “on frivolous administrative and criminal charges.” The authors of the petition included the arrest of Mr. Navalny’s lawyers as such.

On October 13, Alexei Liptser, Igor Sergunin and Vadim Kobzev were searched, after which they were detained on charges of participation in an extremist community. On the same day, the Basmanny court placed them under arrest. On October 13, Navalny’s lawyer Olga Mikhailova left Russia. Today it became known about the departure of another opposition defender, Alexander Fedulov. Before this the government suggested deprive the status of lawyers who left the country if they have not appeared in Russia for more than a year without a valid reason.

Read more about the arrest of Alexei Navalny’s lawyers in the Kommersant article. “Alexey Navalny’s lawyers were taken away” .

Polina Motyzlevskaya