Lawyers of jailed opposition leaders disbarred

December 9, BPN. Lawyers of prominent opposition activists Eduard Babaryka, Maryja Kaleśnikava and Siarhiej Cichanoŭski have been disbarred, Belarusian political groups say.

The Minsk City Bar Association expelled Uładzimir Pylčanka, a defender of jailed regime critics Maryja Kaleśnikava and Eduard Babaryka, the son of former presidential hopeful Viktar Babaryka.

“This means that he can no longer carry out legal activities, including filing complaints about officials’ illegal actions, visiting Masha in the colony and participating in hearings,” Viktar Babaryka’s campaign said on Telegram.

Meanwhile, opposition leader Śviatłana Cichanoŭskaja’s Telegram account wrote that her jailed husband Siarhiej Cichanoŭski’s lawyer Viktar Mackievič was disbarred too.

“I thank him for the dignity with which he has been doing his job all this time, and the care that he has shown towards my husband and his other clients,” Cichanoŭskaja said.

The justice ministry has revoked the licenses of at least 50 lawyers since the beginning of 2021, human rights activists said. About 100 law firms have been shut down, and about 400 lawyers have lost the opportunity to run a business.

Alaksandr Łukašenka says lawyers should be “under control.”