Labkovіch: Human rights activists and lawyers are the biggest risk group
Human rights defender Uladzimir Labkovich has commented on the disbarment of Tamara Sidarenka and six other lawyers.
Euroradio: Political prisoners are getting pardoned while lawyers are getting disbarred. Why is it happening?
Labkovіch: There is a tendency to release political prisoners; it can be understood by analyzing Lukashenka’s rhetoric. I think that we will hear new names including politicians’ names soon – the people will be released after illegal imprisonment. However, the repressions directed against human rights activists will not stop because the current regime will not change a bit even if it organizes some negotiations and makes decorative steps now. This indulgence is a temporary concession. That is why human rights activists and lawyers are the biggest risk group - they may be hit in the first place because it is very important that the authorities should be able to deal with the group on the eve of the future protest actions. People should be repressed so that they would understand that they are defenseless.
Euroradio: How will it end?
Labkovіch: It is a very difficult question. It may result in the preservation of the current system in Belarus. The current authorities do not seem to have any political will to make system changes. We can only observe symbolic promises and steps on the one hand, and see one the best-known lawyers getting disbarred on the other hand.
