Crushing Dissent: Belarus’ Campaign Against Human Rights Lawyers
On August 21, 2025, the Belarusian State Security Committee (KGB) categorized the Belarusian Association of Human Rights Lawyers (BAHRL) as an extremist organization. BAHRL was established in the spring of 2023 by exiled Belarusian lawyers who were arbitrarily deprived of their right to practice law in Belarus. Many lawyers were stripped of their legal licenses and subsequently forced to flee the country. Following these events, the Association emerged to protect the rights of lawyers to a defense and fair trial, advocate for legitimate human rights concerns, and bring awareness to the persecution of human rights lawyers in Belarus. The actions conducted by the Belarusian state in denouncing the BAHRL disregard international standards for the independence and protection of lawyers as outlined in the UN Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers.
Not only does this designation carry risk for further harming democracy and freedoms in Belarus, but it also threatens individual lawyers. In addition to naming the BAHRL an extremist organization, the Ministry of Internal Affairs named six alleged members of the BAHRL, some of whom are not registered members. One such lawyer who was falsely accused still resides in Belarus; alleged members of the BAHRL still in Belarus are now at risk of criminal prosecution and imprisonment of up to 10 years.
This instance of repression is not an isolated case in Belarus. Since the 2020 re-election of President Lukashenko, the Belarusian government has targeted and repressed political dissenters across the nation. These allegations were further outlined in a briefing conducted by the European Union, which determined the 2020 Belarusian election to be fraudulent in nature. Since 1994, Alexander Lukashenko has held power through seven consecutive terms, consolidating his regime by abolishing constitutional prohibitions on presidential term limits. Lukashenko began his 7th term in January of 2025 and is widely referred to as “Europe’s last and only dictator.” Lukashenko has also long been a close supporter of President Vladimir Putin of Russia, another president with a history of authoritarianism. Their alliance has grown increasingly significant in recent years due to their shared isolation from and distrust of the West.
The 2020 election protests in Belarus stand out as a major step towards combating Lukashenko’s rule. Protests broke out nationwide, including in the capital city of Minsk. Bystanders watched as security forces crushed the protests with disproportionate and violent force, employing methods such as rubber bullets and batons. In the aftermath of the election, approximately 7,000 Belarusians involved in the dissent were detained and subjected to torture, including electric shocks and deprivation of nourishment. In the wake of the mass protests, Belarusian human rights lawyers defended political prisoners, exposed state brutality, and documented human rights abuses. In response to their defense of ‘political enemies’, authorities have revoked lawyers’ licenses and carried out unprovoked searches and arrests, with seven lawyers arrested for fabricated offenses. The BAHRL does not stand alone as a targeted organization — nearly 1,000 independent associations have been dismantled, including independent news outlets, human rights organizations, and opposition groups. Additionally, certain social media accounts were designated as "extremist" and faced severe penalties.
By criminalizing lawyers committed to defending the right to a fair trial and exposing human rights abuses, the Government of Belarus undermines essential international standards and further drives Belarus away from democracy. These measures reveal a regime intent on eradicating independent voices and tightening authoritarian control, while simultaneously signaling to the international community the urgent need for continued attention and accountability. Yet such measures also expose the regime’s deep insecurity: the very existence of independent lawyers poses a threat because it reveals the illegitimacy of state authority.