Defense lawyer sentenced to eight years in prison

February 2, BPN. The Minsk City Court has sentenced lawyer Vital Brahiniec to eight years in a high-security penal colony, the Viasna Human Rights Center reported.

Judge Alena Ananič found him guilty of forming an extremist group, calling for sanctions, inciting hatred and participating in protests. Belarusian human rights groups say these charges are politically motivated.

Brahiniec went on trial on January 16.

The Committee for State Security (KGB) agents arrested the Brahiniec and Partners founder outside his Minsk home in May 2022.

Brahiniec defended Aleś Bialacki, leader of Viasna, and his fellow lawyer Andrej Mačałaŭ. The arrest prevented him from completing his work.

In June 2022, authorities sentenced Mačałaŭ to two years of restricted freedom in an open-type correctional facility for representing his clients in court at the time when he was already disbarred.

Belarusian rights groups declared a total of six lawyers as political prisoners.

Since the start of 2021, the Ministry of Justice has revoked the licenses of at least 60 defense lawyers and shut down about 100 law firms. About 400 individual lawyers also stopped practicing law for fear of persecution.

Pressure on the legal profession mounted after the 2020 election campaign. Lawyers virtually lost their independence: since 2021, they can only work in legal consultancies whose heads are appointed with the justice ministry’s approval.

Alaksandr Łukašenka says lawyers should be “under control.”