{
  "id": 19689201,
  "title": "Prominent Russian lawyer who defended political prisoners sentenced to 12 years on treason charge",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/12/prominent-russian-lawyer-who-defended-political-prisoners-sentenced",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-11-12T18:26:17.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Insider",
    "slug": "the-insider",
    "url": "https://theins.press/en/news/299521"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Russian lawyer Maria Bontsler, known for defending political prisoners, has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for treason, according to a report by Slovo Zashchite. The Kaliningrad Regional Court found her guilty and ordered her phone to be confiscated and her SIM card destroyed. The case was held in secret, excluding Bontsler herself, who was allowed only to deliver a final statement. Her legal team was dismissed due to a dispute over access to classified materials, leaving her with court-appointed counsel Anastasia Rikhter. Bontsler was previously detained under Russia's law on \"confidential cooperation with a foreign state\" and had her charge upgraded to treason. She claims to have suffered cardiac arrest and hypertensive crises during pretrial detention. Bontsler's son alleges security officers threatened her with a reduced sentence if she testified against a fellow lawyer. The number of politically motivated cases against Russian lawyers tripled in 2025, with three of Alexei Navalny's lawyers receiving prison sentences for \"extremism.\" Investigations into Navalny's lawyer have reportedly violated attorney-client privilege.",
  "summary": "Earlier today, Kaliningrad Regional Court Judge Alexander Marochkin sentenced 66-year-old lawyer Maria Bontsler to 12 years in prison after finding her guilty of treason, according to a report by independent media and legal rights advocacy project Slovo Zashchite (lit. “Word to the Defense”). The court also ordered her phone to be reset to factory settings and to be confiscated by the state; her…",
  "key_points": [
    "Maria Bontsler sentenced to 12 years for treason.",
    "Case held in secret, excluding Bontsler.",
    "Lawyer's son claims threats to reduce sentence."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}