Lawyer Vadim Kobzev announced on social media that a new criminal case will be opened against him in connection with actions he alleges involved overturning the administration of the penal colony where opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who is on lists of terrorists and extremists, is currently held. The disclosure comes as Kobzev frames the matter as an assertion of professional duties rather than a crime, noting his legal role in documenting events surrounding Navalny’s confinement. [Source: Kobzev tweet and subsequent statements]
Kobzev described an incident in which Navalny, upon being brought to a cell the preceding day, encountered a person described as a homeless neighbor with significant hygiene problems. The opposition figure reportedly refused to enter the cell and characterized the situation as a provocation, requesting a transfer to a different cell and attempting to remove his cellmate from the premises. [Source: Kobzev account]
The lawyer contends that Navalny was later “forcibly taken into the cell, shot” and informed that “the colony was blocked by the intervention group”. He stated that authorities threatened charges accusing Navalny of “disrupting the activities” of the institutions responsible for isolating individuals from society, a line of argument Kobzev says could carry penalties of up to five years. [Source: Kobzev recounting of events]
Earlier, Dmitry Peskov, the press secretary for the Kremlin, indicated that there would be updates on Navalny’s status after consultations within the presidential administration. This development has drawn attention to the pace and nature of information disclosed about Navalny’s condition and the operational status of the penal system. [Source: Kremlin press briefing notes]