Alexey Navalny's lawyers were taken away

His defenders were searched and arrested on charges of extremism
The lawyers of opposition leader Alexei Navalny, convicted of extremism, who represented his interests in the courts and during the investigation, were detained after the searches, accused of participating in an extremist community and arrested for two months. According to the GSU of the TFR, Alexey Lipzer, Igor Sergunin and Vadim Kobzev for two years passed to Mr. Navalny information about the actions of associates in Russia and abroad, and they received instructions from him. The Federal Chamber of Lawyers of the Russian Federation reported that they will check the validity of the criminal prosecution of defenders. Alexei Navalny himself commented on the case, comparing the "state of legality" in the Russian Federation with Soviet times. 

On the morning of October 13, Vyacheslav Gimadi and Ivan Zhdanov (recognized as a foreign agent) reported on the ongoing searches at Alexei Navalny's lawyers. Investigative actions were carried out in the metropolitan apartments of lawyers Igor Sergunin and Alexey Liptser, after which, according to Kommersant, they were taken for questioning to the building of the GSU TFR in the Technical Lane. Another lawyer of the oppositionist, Vadim Kobzev, was detained in Kovrov (Vladimir region). On this day, he was supposed to represent Alexei Navalny at a court hearing on two lawsuits against the maximum security colony No. 6 in Melikhovo. At the same time, both the oppositionist himself (sentenced to 19 years in a penal colony for organizing an extremist community in a closed-door trial) and the judge of the Kovrov City Court Dmitry Samoilov did not know about the lawyer's detention. Mr. Samoilov, postponing the meeting, even resentfully asked if Vadim Kobzev could have called and warned about his absence.

According to Kommersant, on the same day, Mr. Kobzev was transferred to Moscow for questioning at the GSU of the TFR. Investigative actions also took place in the metropolitan bar association "Dalet", which consists of Alexey Lipzer and Igor Sergunin. The search was conducted as part of a criminal case against the lawyers of the collegium. "For participating in the extremist community, as far as I understand," said Svetlana Davydova, a representative of Dalet. We are talking about a criminal case under Part 2 of Article 282.1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (on participation in an extremist community, the maximum penalty under Part 2 is up to six years in prison).

According to Kommersant sources, the materials for this criminal case were isolated from a large investigation into the opposition leader and the so-called "Navalny team", which the investigation considers an extremist association. The case against the defenders was initiated on October 11.