4 December marks Lawyers’ Day in Belarus, a professional holiday. Nevertheless, Lawyers for Lawyers continues to be concerned about the situation of Lawyers in Belarus. The Belarusian lawyers are subject to harassment, intimidation as well as improper interference while they are performing their professional duties. Additionally, the independence of the legal profession in Belarus is threatened.
Since the 2020 elections, Belarusian lawyers have been persecuted through different means such as disbarment, detention, prosecution or even being listed as terrorist. This creates a chilling effect on other legal professionals, restricting human rights defenders’ and political opponents’ right to access independent, effective legal representation. In connection to this violation, Lawyers for Lawyers and other organizations released oral statements to the Human Rights Council on Belarus in June, September and October.
Lawyers for Lawyers continues to closely monitor the situation in Belarus and urges the government of Belarus to take immediate action in order to guarantee the full independence and safety of lawyers and to release all lawyers who have been unduly detained. Furthermore, Lawyers for Lawyers calls upon the relevant authorities to safeguard the independence of the Bar Association and legal profession.
