Press statement on the International Day

Press statement on the International Day

International Day for Lawyers in Danger 2025: Focus on the alarming situation of lawyers in Belarus

24 January 2025 (date) – On the International Day for Lawyers in Danger, 24 January 2025, the International Observatory for Lawyers in Danger (OIAD) is focusing on the dramatic situation of lawyers in Belarus.

Belarus has been the scene of intense repression against political opponents, journalists and human rights activists since 1994, under the authoritarian regime of Alexander Lukashenko. In this context, lawyers, who are key pillars in the protection of fundamental freedoms, are being systematically targeted.

A threatened profession operating under a repressive regime

Arbitrary arrests, forced exile, lack of independence: in Belarus, lawyers who defend political activists or opponents are subjected to a series of repressive measures:

  • At least11 lawyers are facing criminal charges;
  • 6 lawyersare currently in prison;
  • 4 lawyersare reported to have been tortured while in detention;
  • At least139 lawyers have been deprived of their right to practise their profession;
  • There are currentlyfewer than 1,600 lawyers practising in Belarus, compared with 2,200 in 2021.

Despite these threats, Belarusian lawyers continue to defend human rights and represent the voices silenced by the regime.

International mobilisation to support Belarusian lawyers

The 2025 International Day for Lawyers in Danger calls on citizens, international organisations and bar associations around the world to speak out against the abuses committed against lawyers in Belarus and to support initiatives aimed at strengthening the defence of fundamental rights in this country.

As every year on this occasion, the OIAD has launched a campaign providing you with a set of awareness-raising tools available on our website: https://protect-lawyers.org/en/2025-belarus-2/

  • Multilingualbrochure (French, English, Spanish, Italian, German, Belarusian and Russian), including powerful testimonies from Lawyers in Danger;
  • Mobilisation kit with a model letter and practical resources to help organisations get involved;
  • Posters and visuals for social networks and rallies;
  • Banner for free use to amplify the message.

How can you get involved?

These tools are available to anyone who wants to join the campaign. We also encourage Bar Associations, organisations and individuals to organise events, conferences or rallies in support of our colleagues in Belarus.

To find out more or to share your initiatives, please contact us at the following address: contact@protect-lawyers.org.

Together, let’s take action to defend Belarusian lawyers!

The OIAD remains determined to speak out on behalf of persecuted lawyers and to mobilise the international community. On this symbolic day, let us reaffirm our solidarity and our commitment to justice and human rights.

E-mail: contact@protect-lawyers.org

Website: https://protect-lawyers.org/en/the-observatory/

The OIAD has 41 active members:

  • France: CNB, Bars: Aix-en-Provence, Hauts-de-Seine, Lille, Lyon, Marseille, Nantes, Nice, Paris, Rouen, Strasbourg, Tours
  • Spain: Consejo General de la Abogacía Española, Ilustres Colegios de Abogados: Barcelona, Bizkaia, Madrid, Talavera, Pamplona
  • Italy: Consiglio Nazionale Forense, Ordini degli Avvocati: Bologna, Brescia, Messina, Milano, Modena, Monza, Napoli, Padova, Roma, Rovereto, Torino, Verona, Vicenza
  • Germany: Bars: Hamm, Cologne
  • Switzerland: Bars : Geneva, Neuchâtel
  • Belgium: Brussels Bar
  • Turkey: Diyarbakir Bar
  • Cameroon: Cameroon Bar
  • Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC): Lualaba Bar Association
  • Mexico: Ilustre y Nacional Colegio de Abogados México

 

And 17 associate members: Afghanistan Independent Bar Association in Exile, Avocats Européens Démocrates, ASF France, Berliner Anwaltsverein e.V, China Human Rights Lawyers Concern Group, Conférence des Bâtonniers, CCBE, Défense sans Frontières – Avocats Solidaires, Endangered Lawyers – Avvocati Minacciati, FNUJA, IDHBP, Lawyers for Lawyers, SAF, UJA Aix-en-Provence, The Arrested Lawyers Initiative, Union des Jeunes Avocats de Marseille, Association des Juristes Progressistes de Genève

 

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