The report notes that 74 lawyers were brought to disciplinary action last year (48 in 2021, 21 in 2020).

In 2022, 27 people were expelled from the bar associations: 13 from Minsk region, 9 from Minsk city, 3 from Horadzen region, one each from Vitebsk and Gomel regions.

"Disciplinary proceedings were instituted by all territorial bar associations based on the results of inspections, as well as on the basis of citizens' complaints, on the basis of orders of the Minister of Justice and letters of state bodies.

Individual situations described in the review "really resemble violations of the rules of professional ethics of a lawyer", however, there are cases "when the validity of disciplinary action raises serious doubts."

Thus, a lawyer was expelled from the panel, who, having several fines, "allegedly made statements of an unqualified, tactless and incorrect nature in court disputes."

Another lawyer was reprimanded for trying to impeach the judge based on "arguments that were in the nature of assumptions and insinuations."

"Lawyers were also prosecuted for doing some part of the work for a fee in a smaller amount than specified in the contract, or for ``unreasonably exempting clients from paying the fee,'' the analysis noted.

"We believe that these messages, which are included in such disciplinary practice of territorial bar associations, are aimed at creating a chilling effect for lawyers who provide legal assistance in political cases."

"It is obviously unfair and a violation of freedom of expression that eight lawyers are charged with fines in the form of reprimands for signing the "Appeal of Belarusian lawyers and lawyers regarding the war in Ukraine."

The lawyers expressed their position regarding an important socio-political event, but the leadership of the Minsk city and Minsk regional collegium considered that in this way the lawyers "distributed inaccurate information on the Internet," the document emphasizes.

"Right to defense" draws attention to the practice of bringing lawyers to disciplinary responsibility for real or alleged administrative offenses committed by them.

Thus, all lawyers who were tried on articles of "petty hooliganism", "disobedience to the legal requirement of an official" or "dissemination of extremist materials" were excluded from the panels.

Last year, 19 lawyers were brought to disciplinary action for administrative offenses, 11 of them allegedly for "disobeying a legal order or demand of an official in the performance of his official powers."

Until 2020, the facts of imposition of fines on lawyers for Art.

24.3 There was no CAO.