Pavel Sapelka is a counsel no more. Three political prisoners have been deprived of defense.

The order of the Ministry of Justice concerning lawyer Pavel Sapelka was considered at a sitting of the Minsk City Bar on 3 March.

According to the decision taken by the presidium of the Minsk City Bar, Pavel Sapelka has been excluded from it. He will not be able to work as a lawyer anymore: according to the Law on the legal profession, advocacy is possible only for members of the Bar.

Pavel Sapelka has been protecting political prisoners for many years. He took part in notorious criminal cases known all over the world. For example, he defended Mikola Autuhovich and members of the unregistered organization Partnership.

Before losing his job, Pavel Sapelka had defended two accused in the criminal case connected to the 19 December events, Andrei Sannikau and Pavel Seviarynets, and the Chair of the Young Front Zmitser Dashkevich, charged with beating a passer-by, whose case has a clear political motivation.