Putin punishes his critics even into the next generation

Aleksey Lipzer, Vadim Kobshevik Vadim Kobzev and Igor Sergunin, as lawyers, defended Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny until his still-unexplained death in custody. On October 13, 2023, they were arrested and imprisoned for “participating in the activities of an extremist group” (Article 2, Paragraph 282.1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). On November 16, 2023, the Federal Financial Supervisory Authority added the lawyers to its list of terrorists and extremists. Because lawyer Sergunin pleaded guilty, presumably to obtain a reduced sentence, lawyers Lipzer and Kobzev were under intense pressure but pleaded not guilty. On January 17, 2025, Vadim Kobzev was sentenced to five and a half years and Alexei Lipzer to five years in prison.

The verdict against these lawyers, who defended their client, reveals the full depravity of the Russian legal and criminal justice system in its treatment of promising opponents and critics of Russian President Vladimir Putin and his government. But the depravity goes further: the lawyers’ property and all their accounts, including the private accounts of their wives and family, have been frozen. The Lipzer family of lawyers, respected in Moscow – Aleksey’s mother was a renowned jurist and human rights defender, his grandfather a respected civil rights activist – became dependent on the support of others. But anyone who helps them is committing a crime. Meanwhile, the Lipzer family, like the Kobzev family, is now destitute; they have no money left for medicine, food, clothing for their children, or to pay bills. They are threatened with homelessness. To make matters worse, financial aid from abroad is explicitly prohibited.

Nevertheless, there are ways, and the ISHR has tested them. The attempt to deliver € 2,000 via messengers and friends in neighbouring countries was successful. The families are very grateful to the ISHR. The money arrived at just the right time, according to a message from one of the messengers. To avoid endangering anyone, we cannot describe the exact route of the money in detail, but it is currently safe, and all involved have remained discreet. We therefore want to use the remaining window of opportunity to provide the families with manageable sums of money in a sustainable and effective way. Donations are welcome to support the families of the imprisoned lawyers Lipzer and Kobsew. A fund has been established in support of the families of the imprisoned lawyers Lipzer and Kobsew. Its existence stands as a statement against the arbitrary actions of the Putin regime.