Belarusian lawyer Yulia Yurhilevich and journalist Pavel Mazheika face up to seven years in prison for sharing information widely available to the public.
Click to expand Image Belarusian lawyer Yulia Yurhilevich (L) and journalist Pavel Mazheika, June 26, 2018. Yulia Yurhilevich/Facebook and 2018 Visana Belarusian lawyer Yulia Yurhilevich and journalist Pavel Mazheika face up to seven years in prison for sharing information widely available to the public. In the latest example of the authorities targeting lawyers and journalists in Belarus, the two have been accused of "repeatedly aiding extremist activity" for sharing information about Yurhilevich's disbarment and a court case - information included on government websites. Yurhilevich is a defense attorney with 18 years of experience, well-known for representing victims of politically motivated prosecutions. In February 2022, the regional bar association of Hrodna - a city near the Belarusian-Polish border - disbarred Yurhilevich for "systematic violation of the law." According to defenders.by, the disbarment was triggered by a complaint from the Hrodna region