NEW YORK (Jan. 17, 2026) — The Human Rights Foundation (HRF) submitted the case of lawyers Vadim Kobzev and Alexei Liptser to the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD) today, on the first anniversary of their sentencing.
Kobzev and Liptser were members of Alexei Navalny’s legal team, most recently representing him after his 2021 arrest at Moscow’s airport and advocating for his humane treatment in prison. Their imprisonment represents the worsening crackdown on political opposition in Russia and a disturbing trend toward targeting lawyers merely for performing their professional duties.
Yulia Navalnaya, Russian opposition leader, HRF Chair, and the widow of Alexei Navalny, published an op-ed in The Washington Post detailing their case and the ongoing attack against the rule of law in Russia.
Full op-ed
