Alexey Navalny’s former defense attorneys are honored in Paris for their human rights service

Three attorneys who defended the late Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny received the international “Rule of Law” prize at a ceremony in Paris this week. The award went to Olga Mikhailova, Vadim Kobzev, and Alexey Liptser, but the latter two could not collect the prize because they are currently jailed in Russia on “extremism” charges for working with Navalny.

The International Association of Lawyers presented the award in recognition of the attorneys’ “firm and consistent commitment to defending human rights and the rule of law, despite extremely challenging circumstances, risks, and significant sacrifices in [their] personal and professional lives.”

A fourth former defense attorney for Navalny, Igor Sergunin, has also been in pretrial detention since October 2023. He has reportedly confessed to the charges and is cooperating with prosecutors. The case against the attorneys went to trial in September 2024 in the Vladimir region and is being held behind closed doors.