As a result of the extensive pressure exerted on attorneys by the state since autumn 2020, along with legislative changes, by the end of 2021, territorial bar associations and the overarching Belarusian Republican Bar Association had lost the few remaining elements of independence, becoming structures entirely dependent on the Ministry of Justice. Under these conditions, the leadership’s activities in recent years have not focused on representing and protecting the rights of attorneys but instead on demonstrating loyalty to the current regime and performing an ideological role. During preparations for the widely criticised 2024 “elections” in Belarus, attorneys visited schools, universities, and workplaces, contributing to narratives that served the state’s interests.

For instance, during this period, the YLC launched a project on its Telegram channel, which was an informational campaign about accountability for “extremist crimes” during the election campaign (note that in modern Belarus, “extremist crimes” include voters expressing positions that differ from the “officially accepted” one), the duty to vote (emphasising it as an obligation rather than a right), and the need to comply with illegitimate election laws, which include various restrictions imposed to limit citizens’ voting rights (such as the absence of privacy curtains in voting booths, a ban on photographing ballots, and “pressuring” members of the electoral commission engaged in vote-rigging).
YLC leaders have repeatedly served as the “face” of the bar, projecting a stance that aligns with state structures and further establishes the erosion of the legal profession’s independence and its increasing subordination to government actors. For example, in February 2022, amid the revocation of licences and repression of attorneys defending citizens in “political” cases, then-YLC Chair Anton Grinevich signed, on behalf of the BRKA, a cooperation agreement with the Belarusian Republican Youth Union, a “youth” organisation whose membership is enforced through coercion and intimidation of schoolchildren and students. The current YLC Chair, Olga Kalina, signed a cooperation agreement in April 2024 with the Youth Parliament, another organisation that promotes anti-democratic values of the Belarusian state. “The events after the 2020 elections showed that young people are apolitical.” When signing the agreement, the BRBA YLC Chair noted that the timing of the agreement, just before “such an important political event as the first session of the All-Belarusian People’s Assembly,” was symbolic. “The cooperation will also focus on promoting patriotism and love for the Motherland”. Kalina made no mention of the fact that the All-Belarusian People’s Assembly is illegitimate and that its constitutional status was established through a referendum marred by numerous violations of voters’ rights, as documented by experts and the international community.

The use of youth by authoritarian regimes for their own purposes is not a new phenomenon. Young people are seen as a particularly important audience for spreading the ideas of systems seeking to expand their influence. The term for the manipulation of consciousness aimed at control, submission, and ideological shaping is "indoctrination" (from the Latin "doctrina"). The negative connotation of the term became especially apparent in the context of totalitarian regimes and propaganda, such as communism, fascism, and Nazism. In these systems, control over consciousness and manipulation of public opinion, particularly through the upbringing of youth, took on special importance. Since then, the word has been associated with processes in which individuals are manipulated to create an obedient and controllable society. The goal of indoctrination is to instil in the younger generation a certain mindset that aligns with the interests of those who control the indoctrination process. This process can occur through various social institutions, including education, media, state programmes, family and societal traditions, religious organisations, the legal profession, and more.

The most vivid example of youth indoctrination is the activities of the Hitler Youth and the Band of German Maidens, which were key tools for the Nazis to influence the worldview and behaviour of German youth during Hitler's rule in Germany. These structures were intended to project an image of unity and support for the Nazi regime among young people. "These boys and girls enter our organisations at the age of ten, often getting their first breath of fresh air there; after four years, they move from the Jungvolk to the Hitler Youth, where they stay for another four years... And if they still haven’t become perfect National Socialists, they’ll be drafted into the Labour Service and polished for another six to seven months... And whatever remains of class consciousness or social status... the Wehrmacht will take care of."

Official representatives of the Belarusian bar have frequently emphasised the importance of actively engaging with young lawyers and youth in general. "When we say we should give way to the young, it should be done genuinely, not just formally. We must trust the young more and, of course, sometimes hold them to higher standards. But there’s no need to hover over them," remarked BRBA Chair Viktor Chaichits when signing a cooperation agreement with the Belarusian Republican Youth Union. "The BRBA fully trusts the Young Lawyers’ Council to build a dialogue with the Belarusian Republican Youth Union and Belarusian youth. We should be their support in this and avoid stifling their initiative".

In October 2023, a conference of attorneys from Belarus and Russia took place. During her welcoming remarks, Svetlana Volodina, President of the Russian Federal Chamber of Lawyers, highlighted the young attorneys of Russia and Belarus. “We are proud of you, and we are here not just to lead you. You should be at the forefront, knowing that you can turn your back to us. We will always support and protect you,” she emphasised. The day before, on 5 October, young attorneys from Belarus and Russia met at a dialogue platform in the National Library in Minsk. According to N. Starovoitov, “true patriots of their countries, who love their homeland and will do everything possible for its prosperity,” gathered in the hall. As noted, patriotic education of young people was the main focus. The First Secretary of the Belarusian Republican Youth Union Central Committee, Alexander Lukyanov, was also present at the meeting and remarked, “In recent years, cooperation with the Belarusian Republican Youth Union has strengthened in terms of training specialists and fostering their patriotic spirit.” Among the topics discussed by attorneys was, of course, “work on preventing violations related to the use of prohibited symbols and collaborationism”. It raises the rhetorical question of how such an attorney would later defend a client accused under the mentioned grounds. Perhaps the day is not far off when an attorney, having embraced the ideology of combatting certain types of offences, will themselves participate in identifying and accusing such “undesirable elements”.

Recently, the involvement of young attorneys in various state-sponsored activities has been increasingly emphasised, with their role in implementing state ideology now clearly overshadowing the original goal of “representing and protecting the rights and interests of young attorneys in the governing bodies of territorial and the Belarusian Republican Bar Associations, and organising professional development,” among other aims.
Notably, on 3 October, at a meeting of the Council of the Belarusian Republican Bar Association, Olga Kalina was unanimously re-elected as Chair of the Young Lawyers’ Council for a term of two years. “Under Olga Leonidovna’s leadership over the past two years, the BRBA YLC has successfully implemented more than 10 national legal and patriotic projects, created and maintained social media networks, held the Young Lawyers’ Forum and public speaking competitions, strengthened cooperation with youth organisations in state bodies, engaged in international cooperation, signed cooperation agreements, and more. During her tenure in the BRBA YLC, Olga Leonidovna has received commendations from the Ministry of Justice, the Youth Parliament, the Belarusian Republican Youth Union Central Committee, the Standing Commission of the House of Representatives on National Security, and others. “I would like to thank the leadership and the country for the opportunities given to young attorneys in realising state youth policy. Ahead lies the second national forum of young attorneys, an election campaign in which young attorneys will certainly take an active role. I can confidently say that young attorneys are proud to be both attorneys and patriots of their country,” Kalina noted.