Lawyers’ association demands freedom for defense attorney Danilevič

April 23, BPN. The Belarusian Independent Association of Human Rights Lawyers calls for the release of defense attorney Alaksandr Danilevič.

In a statement disseminated on April 23, it noted that defense attorneys have the right to provide their clients with any required legal assistance under a law on advocacy. By UN standards, lawyers are not identified with their clients or their clients’ interests, it added.

“Governments shall ensure that lawyers are not subjected to prosecution or other sanctions for any action taken in line with recognized professional duties, standards and ethics, or to threats of such prosecution and sanctions,” the statement reads.

On April 10, Danilevič was sentenced to 10 years in a reinforced-regime corrective colony for promoting extremism and undermining national security.

The prosecutor’s office said he assisted Alaksandra Hierasimienia and Alaksandr Apiejkin, founders of the embattled Belarusian Sports Solidarity Foundation (BSSF). He also allegedly helped strike committees to draft appeals on violations of workers’ rights and “urged the management of a foreign company to terminate contractual relations with the Belarusian counterparty.” On top of that, he gave an interview to an “extremist” media outlet, the prosecutors charged.

Human rights activists said his persecution was politically motivated.