The plight of lawyers in Belarus – widely described as Europe’s last dictatorship – is the focus of this year’s Day of the Endangered Lawyer, marked by the legal profession today.
A report published by the Law Society has revealed ‘a persistent and disturbing trend in Belarus where legal practitioners face escalating criminal sanctions, arbitrary detention and systemic interference in their professional duties,’ an event hosted by the Society heard last night. ‘Lawyers are disbarred for doing nothing more than defending suspects in criminal cases,’ Kanstantsin Dzehtsiarou, a Belarus-born professor of human rights at the University of Liverpool said.
We are gravely concerned about the hostile environment for lawyers in Belarus, as they face criminal sanctions, arbitrary detention and systematic harassment,’ Law Society president Richard Atkinson said. ‘This persecution has had a chilling effect on the independence of the profession.’
Dzehtsiarou cited examples of several lawyers jailed for lengthy periods after the country’s 2020 elections – including some for attempting to represent other lawyers. Their legal representatives in turn have also been disbarred, he said.
Since 2009, the annual Day of the Endangered Lawyer has called attention to threats to lawyers around the world, including in Iran, the Philippines, China and Egypt. The Society alone last year made 42 public actions relating to mistreatment in 14 countries.
In its statement marking the day, the Bar Council pointed out that lawyers in England and Wales can face threats, harassment and intimidation because of their international legal work.
Targeted attacks reported to the Bar Council include cyber-harassment including death and rape threats, and attacks on named lawyers in both state-owned and private media.
Bar chair Barbara Mills KC said: ‘The Bar Council is supporting our members and colleagues abroad who face multiple attacks and threats. In 2025 we want to see a renewed emphasis on promoting the important role of independent legal practitioners and adherence to the rule of law. The Bar Council condemns all acts of intimidation and the targeting of lawyers who are simply carrying out their work and upholding our professional ethics.’
