Dmitry was a lawyer and managing partner of the "Laevsky, Yulsky, and Partners" law firm (from July 2020 — Laevsky and Partners law firm). He was a member of the Minsk City Bar Association.
Since
June 18, 2020, he had been defending presidential candidate Viktor Babaryka. Since
September 9, 2020, he had been defending the lawyer Maxim Znak, who was the representative of the presidential candidate Viktor Babaryka and the head of the legal department of his election campaign headquarters.
As part of their defense campaign, Dmitry Laevsky publicly disputed the charges against them, declared their innocence and the unlawfulness of their persecution, and was repeatedly featured in the media in connection with the violation of their rights during the preliminary investigation. Dmitry spoke out in court proceedings, and also when appealing final sentences.
In the light of multiple violations of professional rights and repression against lawyers that began in 2020, Dmitry Laevsky took part in a number of publications, interviews and events on issues of the independence of the legal profession, ways to ensure proper conditions for advocacy and the rule of law. Together with his colleagues, he represented the interests of lawyer Aleksandr Pylchenko while appealing against the decision of the Ministry of Justice to terminate Aleksandr Pylchenko's lawyer's license. Since August 2020, he has been running a public
Telegram channel about advocacy, judiciary and the right to defense.
On April 8, 2021, by the decision of the disciplinary commission of the Minsk City Bar Association, he was brought to disciplinary responsibility in the form of a reprimand. The reason was Dmitry Laevsky's post on social networks, in which he criticized the draft amendments to the Law on Advocacy in terms of restricting the rights of lawyers who worked in law firms. The disciplinary commission of the Minsk City Bar Association indicated as a disciplinary offense that "Dmitry Laevsky on March 11, 2021, posted on his Facebook page information containing incorrect and defamatory statements addressed to lawyers and heads of legal advice offices", by which allegedly violated the Rules of Professional Ethics.
On July 8, 2021, by the decision of the disciplinary commission of the Minsk City Bar Association, he was brought to disciplinary responsibility in the form of an exclusion from the Bar. The reason for the disciplinary proceedings was Laevsky's speech in the court pleadings in defense of Viktor Babaryka. In his speech, Dmitry expressed his legal position on innocence and asked to acquit not only Viktar Babaryka, but also other defendants, despite the fact that they pleaded guilty, and their defenders did not ask for acquittal. The disciplinary commission of the Minsk City Bar Association indicated that Dmitry "publicly assessed the speeches and legal positions of the defenders of other convicts in the criminal proceedings", which allegedly violated the Rules of Professional Ethics.
On July 9, 2021, by the decision of the Minsk City Bar Association Council, he was expelled from the Bar.
On August 17, 2021, by a decree of the Ministry of Justice, his lawyer's license was terminated.
On August 2, 2021, international professional organizations of lawyers, including the
Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe and
Lawyers for Lawyers, spoke out in support of Dmitry Laevsky.
On December 10, 2021, Dmitry Laevsky
received the CCBE Human Rights Award 2021.