Belarusian Lawyer Laevsky Sentenced to 3 Years for Defending…
In Belarus, lawyer Dmitry Lavsky was sentenced to three years in a labor camp for his role in the case of 'facilitating extremist activity' and 'discrediting Belarus'.
Consensus
- Dmitry Laevsky was sentenced to three years in prison by the Minsk City Court.
- The charges were 'aiding extremist activities' and 'discredit of Belarus'.
- Laevsky defended Viktor Babaryko, Maxim Znak, and Aleś Belyatsky.
- The case was based on interviews Laevsky gave to independent Belarusian media.
- The interviews were conducted in 2021.
- Laevsky was removed from the Minsk City Bar Association after the 2021 verdict against Babaryko.
- The case was initiated in August 2025.
- The verdict was reported by the human rights center 'Vyasna'.
- Laevsky was taken into custody immediately after the verdict.
Points of divergence
- All three defendants—Babaryko, Znak, and Belyatsky—were released in December 2025. — tg_echoonline_news
- The court sentenced Laevsky on September 9, 2025. — tg_astrapress
- The Belarusian Association of Human Rights Lawyers was declared an 'extremist formation' in August 2025. — tg_currenttime
- The interviews were primarily given in 2021 and at the time of publication, the media outlets were not yet designated as extremist. — tg_sotavisionmedia
- The media outlets cited include Radio Svaboda, Evroradio, Zerkalo, Pozirak, Deutsche Welle, Malanka Media, and Salydarnasci. — tg_astrapress
- Babaryko called the verdict a 'monstrous injustice' and stated that Laevsky was punished for fulfilling his professional duty. — tg_currenttime
Coverage (4 sources)
- Babariko, Znak and Belyatsky's lawyer sentenced to three years in prison — ЭХО / Новости
- In Belarus, lawyer Dmitry Lavyshev sentenced to three years in prison — SOTAvision
- In Belarus, a lawyer who defended Viktor Babariko and other known political prisoners was sentenced to three years in a colony — ASTRA
- In Belarus, lawyer Dmitry Lavsky sentenced to three years in a colony for aiding "extremist" activity... — Настоящее Время