Defense attorney gets six years in prison

May 11, BPN. The Minsk City Court has sentenced defense lawyer Anastasija Łazarenka, 40, to six years in prison, the Viasna Human Rights Center reports.

Judge Śviatłana Čarapanava found her guilty of participating in protests, illegal handling of personal data and inciting hatred. Authorities said that Łazarenka allegedly shared information about judges and policemen with Chernaya Kniga Belarusi (Black Book of Belarus), an online project exposing the identities of security officers who mistreated and brutalized peaceful protesters.

In 2020, Łazarenka provided legal consultations for arrested protesters and their family members outside the Minsk Detention Center in Akreścina Street.

Riot police arrested the lawyer at her home in June 2022. She has over 11 years of work experience in civil, criminal, and family law. Human rights groups say her persecution is politically motivated.

Pressure on the legal profession in Belarus 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. Alaksandr Łukašenka said that the lawyers should be “under control.”

The number of practicing lawyers in Belarus fell from 2,200 in early 2020 to 1,650 in April 2023, says a recent report by the Pravo na Zashchitu (Right to Defense) initiative.