WARSAW, Aug 23 (Reuters) - Belarusian lawyer Mikhail Kirilyuk says he received an unsettling text message in October from an acquaintance linked to the country’s security services.
By Joanna Plucinska and Matthias Williams, Andrius Sytas
Belarus tightens grip on lawyers
Seven lawyers interviewed by Reuters say their licenses were removed after defending protesters, speaking out against authorities or resisting what they said was pressure on their profession.
Several of them allege that authorities monitored confidential client meetings or obstructed their work. Reuters was unable to independently corroborate their assertions or the text message described by Kirilyuk.
Authorities in this former Soviet state have conducted a broad crackdown on dissent since last August, when the long-standing president declared himself victor in an election that many Western countries deemed fraudulent. The targets have included opposition politicians, activists and the media. In an episode that shocked the West, a plane flying over Belarus was grounded in May and a dissident journalist on board was arrested.
