24 January 2025 | 15:00-16:30 PM (CET) | Online (Zoom Registration)
To mark the 2025 edition of the International Day of the Endangered Lawyers, which spotlights the persecution of lawyers in Belarus, Lawyers for Lawyers and partners organised an online event on 24 January at 3:00-4:30 PM (CET). In the aftermath of the presidential elections in 2020, numerous lawyers who represented political opposition candidates publicly criticized the government have been sentenced to lengthy prison terms and subjected to relentless harassment, including disciplinary proceedings and disbarment. This government-led crackdown on legal professionals continues to this day and severely undermines the right to access to justice and the rule of law in Belarus.
This joint online event, organised by Lawyers for Lawyers, the Law Society of England and Wales, and the American Bar Association’s Center for Human Rights, addressed the plight of lawyers in Belarus and highlighted the critical importance of continuous international support. Speakers addressed the pattern of interference and harassment of Belarusian lawyers and delved into the challenges and opportunities of existing and novel avenues of support for Belarusian lawyers, both within the country and in exile. The discussion underscored the need for international cooperation, and speakers offered recommendations to the global legal community on how to support their Belarusian colleagues.
A recording of the event may be released at a later stage.
Programme and speakers
Opening remarks
Sophie de Graaf, Executive Director Lawyers for Lawyers
Scott Carlson, Executive Director ABA’s Center for Global Programs
Key note speech
Margaret Satterthwaite, UN Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers
Panel discussion
- Illia Salei, Belarusian lawyer in exile, Associate Counsel EBRD
- Vaida Rudenaite, Senior Legal Advisor, Lithuanian Ministry of Justice
- Karinna Moskalenko, Chair UN Independent Expert Group on Belarus
- Elena Shinkarevich, Belarusian Association of Human Rights Lawyers
- Baroness Helena Kennedy LT KC, Diretor IBAHRI
Moderated by: Tony Fisher, Chair of the Human Rights Committee of the Law Society of England and Wales
Concluding remarks
Nils Muižnieks, UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Belarus
