{"id":87530,"date":"2024-05-28T13:13:23","date_gmt":"2024-05-28T10:13:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/87530\/"},"modified":"2026-03-09T20:10:49","modified_gmt":"2026-03-09T20:10:49","slug":"rights-group-sounds-alarm-over-crackdown-on-lawyers-in-belarus","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/87530\/","title":{"rendered":"Rights group sounds alarm over crackdown on lawyers in Belarus"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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May 28, Pozirk<\/em>.<\/strong> The scale and severity of a recent crackdown on Belarusian lawyers is “unprecedented” even considering reprisals continuing since 2020, says the recent report<\/a> by Human Rights Watch (HRW).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The report focuses on Alaksandar \u0141uka\u0161enka’s retaliatory practices targeting lawyers who represent regime critics, detailing the authorities’ nearly complete takeover of the legal profession in Belarus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lawyers in Belarus are subjected to \u201charassment, arbitrary revocation of their licenses, detention and administrative charges and politically-motivated criminal prosecution,\u201d HRW said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Defense attorneys Maksim Znak, Alaksandar Danilevi\u010d, Anastasija \u0141azarenka and others, who assisted defendants in politically-motivated cases, were thrown in jails and became victims of reprisals, while more than 140 lawyers have been disbarred since 2020, it noted. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

“By systematically undermining lawyers\u2019 guarantees in politically-motivated cases and violating the rights of their clients, Belarusian authorities have made a mockery of the administration of justice in courts of law, depriving Belarusians of their right to fair trial and equal protection under the law,” the report stressed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The HRW urged Minsk to “immediately stop politically motivated prosecutions, end all harassment and attacks on lawyers” and restore the licenses of all lawyers who have been disbarred.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The rights group also called for restricting the justice ministry\u2019s authority “to interfere with independence of the legal profession,” including its powers to regulate the work of lawyers, certify or disbar them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The European Union, United Nations member states, the Council of Europe and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe should develop and fund programs to support repressed lawyers and help exiled attorneys, while considering targeted sanctions against Belarusian officials responsible for the crackdown, the HRW stressed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Also read: Lawyer says isolation of Belarus political prisoners a result of crackdown on attorneys<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

May 28, Pozirk. The scale and severity of a recent crackdown on Belarusian lawyers is “unprecedented” even considering reprisals continuing since 2020, says the recent report by Human Rights Watch (HRW). The report focuses on Alaksandar \u0141uka\u0161enka’s retaliatory practices targeting lawyers who represent regime critics, detailing the authorities’ nearly complete takeover of the legal profession […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":83,"featured_media":56434,"template":"","rubric":[16],"class_list":["post-87530","articles","type-articles","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","rubric-politics"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nRights group sounds alarm over crackdown on lawyers in Belarus | Pozirk<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"May 28, Pozirk. 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