Control over lawyers threatens human rights

In response to alerts from the Human Rights Centre “Viasna” (HRC “Viasna”), FIDH’s member organisation in Belarus, about the recent wave of repression against lawyers representing defendants in politically sensitive cases, the Observatory for the protection of human rights defenders, a partnership between FIDH and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), in collaboration with the Paris Bar, sent an international investigation mission to Minsk from 17 to 19 January 2018. The Observatory and the Paris Bar are grateful to HRC “Viasna” for its support in the preparation of this mission as well as all the persons who met with the delegation. The mission delegation was composed of Mr. Basile Ader, Attorney at law, Vice President of the Paris Bar, Benoît Deniaud, Attorney at law, Member of the Paris Bar Council, Ms. Julia Ouahnon, Programme Officer, Eastern Europe and Central Asia Desk, FIDH and Mr. Hugo Gabbero, Deputy Director of the Observatory for the protection of Human Rights Defenders, FIDH. (Introduction, fragment)