The organizations note that as a result of the administrative arrest, Mr. Braginets will be deprived of his lawyer’s license and the right to discharge his professional duties as a lawyer, and the charges brought against Mochalov are unfounded and are rather connected to, and serve to unlawfully curb his legitimate activities as a lawyer.
Lawyers for Lawyers and the CCBE urge the Belarusian authorities to release Vitaly Braginets and drop all charges against him and against lawyer Andrei Mochalov unless credible evidence is presented in proceedings that respect fair trial guarantees, and guarantee that all lawyers in Belarus, including the ones named above, are able to practice law without threat, intimidation, hindrance, harassment, improper interference or reprisals.
