Three lawyers who previously represented the late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny have been sentenced to prison terms ranging from three and a half to five and a half years, marking another significant step in the Kremlin's intensifying crackdown on dissent.

Vadim Kobzev, Igor Sergunin, and Alexei Liptser were convicted by a court in Petushki, approximately 60 miles east of Moscow, on charges of involvement with extremist groups. The trial, conducted behind closed doors, concluded with Kobzev receiving a five and a half year sentence, Liptser five years, and Sergunin three and a half years.

The lawyers were arrested in October 2023 and subsequently added to Russia's official list of 'terrorists and extremists.' According to the independent Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta, Kobzev stated in his final court appearance that they were being prosecuted for 'transmitting Navalny's thoughts to other people.'

The case stems from a 2021 ruling that designated Navalny's organizations - the Foundation for Fighting Corruption and its regional offices - as extremist groups. Authorities accused the lawyers of using their position to relay information between Navalny and his team while he was imprisoned.

Memorial, Russia's most prominent human rights group and 2022 Nobel Peace Prize recipient, has designated the three lawyers as political prisoners and demands their immediate release. The prosecution of defense lawyers has been widely interpreted as an attempt to discourage legal professionals from taking on political cases.

Two other Navalny lawyers, Olga Mikhailova and Alexander Fedulov, have fled Russia and are currently on a wanted list. Mikhailova, who defended Navalny for a decade, faces extremism charges in absentia.

The sentencing comes in the wake of Navalny's death in February at age 47 in an Arctic prison camp under disputed circumstances. His widow, Yulia Navalnaya, and team members have alleged his death was ordered by the Kremlin, though officials have denied these accusations.