On Monday, Human Rights Watch (HRW), in collaboration with the Belarusian Association of Human Rights Lawyers and Right to Defence, released a detailed report highlighting the systematic repression of human rights lawyers in Belarus. This report underscores governmental control over the legal profession in the country, expressing concerns over prosecutions and disbarments that appear politically motivated.
The report draws attention to six lawyers who have been prosecuted and around 140 others who have been disbarred or had their licenses revoked. Such actions, HRW argues, are in clear contravention of international human rights and the rule of law. It attributes these aggressive measures to the aftermath of the 2020 presidential election in Belarus, which sparked mass protests and led to the imprisonment of over a thousand political dissidents, findings subsequently corroborated by a UN report.
The HRW report documents various forms of repression faced by lawyers, including closed trials, limited availability of lawyers, differential treatment compared to prosecutors, intimidation, arbitrary prosecution, and disbarments. Lawyers defending clients in politically sensitive cases have been charged with “aiding extremist activity,” “calling for sanctions,” and “conspiring to seize power.” The Ministry of Justice’s control over self-governing legal bodies has exacerbated this situation, leading to extensive disbarments and license revocations.
HRW emphasized that these retaliatory actions grossly infringe upon international standards meant to ensure the autonomy of legal practitioners and uphold human rights obligations. Particularly, these actions violate the 1990 UN Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers, along with fundamental rights such as freedom of expression, the right to a lawyer, fair trial, and effective access to legal services as established in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
The report’s recommendations include an immediate call for the Belarusian government to cease the systematic detention and prosecution of individuals peacefully exercising their rights. HRW also urges the Belarusian Republican Bar and Regional Bar Associations to discontinue retaliatory actions against legal professionals. Moreover, HRW calls on international organizations to offer support and abstain from cooperating with these punitive legal bodies, while encouraging Bar Associations and Lawyers’ Associations in Europe, Canada, and the US to raise their concerns about governmental interference in the work of lawyers in Belarus.
For more detailed information, you can access the full report here.