Semyon Ariya

Russian attorney, famous for defending political dissidents like Andrei Sakharov.

He also worked as an attorney for numerous Soviet political dissidents in the 1960s and 70s.

Over of his 65-year legal career, Ariya defended several prominent Russian figures, including self-exiled Russian oligarch Boris Berezovsky and Nobel-Prize-winning human rights activist and dissident Andrei Sakharov, investigative journalist Aleksandr Minkin, and prominent Russian actors Rolan Bykov and Natalya Fadeyeva, Roman Karmen, Vasily Livanov, etc.

Ariya, a World War II veteran, was awarded the Order of Honor and several other medals for his service during the war.

Sources:

http://www.themoscowtimes.com/news/article/the-godfather-of-russian-lawyers-dies-aged-90/490166.html

http://www.rferl.org/content/soviet-lawyer-dies/25179416.html