Minsk City Court upholds annulment of Aleh Aheyeu's license
On 28 November 2011 the civil cases panel of judges of
the Minsk City Court, consisting of N. Zhupikava,
A.Antonenka and I. Lazavikova considered the administrative lawsuit of counsel
Aleh Aheyeu against the unlawful annulment of his lawyer's license by the
Ministry of Justice.
The trial was attended by a representative of the Belarusian Helsinki
Committee.
The panel of judges upheld the ruling of the panel of judges of the Maskouski
District Court of Minsk of 26 April 2011 (judge L. Simakhina), which turned
down Aheyeu's appeal against the verdict of the Maskouski District Court.
Earlier, in August 2011, the consideration of the case at the
Minsk City Court was stopped because of the violations that had been committed by the
Maskouski District Court. On 10 November the consideration of the appeal at the
court of review was stopped for the same reasons.
Bear in mind that on 14 February the Ministry of Justice annulled the lawyer's
license Aheyeu because of repeated presentation of incorrect information to the
licensing body and committing a deed incompatible with the position of a
counsel.
The latter accusation concerns the interview, given by Aheyeu to the European
Radio for Belarus
concerning the incarceration conditions for political prisoners in the KGB
jail. On 5 January 2011 he received an admonition for it, together with some
other counsels. However, according to the Belarusian legislation, a lawyer cannot
be deprived of license for “ committing a deed incompatible with the position
of a counsel”. What concerns the presentation of incorrect information to the
licensing body – the Ministry of Justice has no legal powers to annul one's
license for it – such decision can be taken only by court.
