Justice ministry disbars four defense lawyers

February 23, BPN. The justice ministry’s qualification commission has revoked the licenses of four lawyers to practice law, the ministry reported.

It disbarred Aksana Biełaja, Volha Dziamidčyk, Natalla Vołkava and Siarhiej Dziemjančuk. On January 25, the commission found their qualifications to be insufficient for the performance of their duties.

Biełaja was a defense attorney for Tut.by editor in chief Maryna Zołatava, who is currently on trial on charges widely seen as politically motivated.

The commission also said that lawyer Ihar Dźjačkoŭ does not fully meet the qualification requirements. It will decide on his case within six months. It also ruled that lawyer Taćciana Kavalevič is unable to perform her professional duties due to insufficient qualifications.

Since the start of 2021, authorities have revoked the licenses of at least 60 defense lawyers and shut down about 100 law firms. About 400 individual lawyers also stopped practicing 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 by the justice ministry’s approval.

Defense attorneys faced criminal charges while some had to flee Belarus fearing politically-motivated persecution. Human rights groups list at least six lawyers as political prisoners.

Alaksandr Łukašenka said that the lawyers should be “under control.”