Lawyer Vadim Kobzev lived in Moscow, married, raising three minor children.

Along with Aleksei Liptser, Kobzev was arrested in October 2023 and accused of participating in an "extremist community" (political opposition's structures were declared ‘extremist’ by the authorities in 2021) - they do not admit guilt. Igor Sergunin, a lawyer who worked with Navalny, was also arrested in the same case. Two other former lawyers of the deceased opposition leader managed to leave Russia, but were arrested in absentia and put on the wanted list.

The investigation believes that Navalny's lawyers, who defended the politician for several years, "took advantage of their status" and regularly passed on his letters from the colony. In this way, Navalny "continued to perform the functions of the leader and head of the extremist community," the investigation said. The authorities added the three lawyers to the list of people and organisations about whom there is information regarding their involvement in "extremist activities" or "terror". Their bank accounts were frozen.

In February 2024, the opposition leader and political prisoner Alexei Navalny, sentenced to 19 years in a colony and defended by these lawyers, died in the colony.

Memorial considers unlawful the decisions to initiate criminal proceedings in connection with the creation of an extremist community and participation in it against Alexei Navalny, his associates and now his lawyers.