BELARUS: Yuliya Yurhilevich arbitrarily detained in appalling conditions
22 January 2025
Belarusian lawyer Yuliya Yurhilevich has defended political prisoners and victims of persecution for 18 years. In 2022, she was disbarred, arrested and sentenced to 6 years in prison.
She was charged with sharing public information with journalist Pavel Mazheika and unfairly convicted of ‘repeated assistance to extremist activities’. She has pleaded not guilty.
Before her trial, Yurhilevich spoke out against inhumane conditions of detention and limited access to her case file. Her imprisonment highlights the repression of lawyers and journalists in Belarus.
Yuliya Yurhilevich’s conviction is a serious violation of human rights. On this International Day for Lawyers in Danger, we seek justice and the immediate release of Yuliya Yurhilevich.
Further information about the lawyer: https://prisoners.spring96.org/en/person/julija-jurhilevicz
Take action for cases of Belarusian endangered lawyers by sharing the OIAD’s campaign: https://protect-lawyers.org/en/2025-belarus-2/
©️Yuliya Pesenka-Hramanteva