Prominent Rights Lawyer Imprisoned in Belarus

Click to expand Image The Minsk District Court, Belarus, August 4, 2021. 2021 Anadolu Agency via Getty Images The Minsk City Court sentenced human rights lawyer Dmitri Laevski on September 9 to three years in prison for "aiding an extremist organization" and "discrediting" Belarus. Laevski has represented high-profile political prisoners, including opposition politician Viktar Babaryka and lawyer Maksim Znak. Laevski was charged with "aiding extremism" in connection with an interview he gave to Radio Liberty in June 2021 about Babaryka's trial. Belarus banned Radio Liberty as "extremist" in December 2021 - half a year after the interview. Au…