Ihar Mikhaylavich Rynkevich (Belarusian: І́гар Міха́йлавіч Рынке́віч; born 3 April 1968) is a prominent Belarusian legal and political expert, journalist and human rights champion. Rynkevich is a member and the press secretary of the Belarus Helsinki Commission since 1996 and Vice Chairman of the Social Democratic Party of Popular Accord.[1]

Important Cases

Rynkevich is best known for his role as lead defence counsel for Alaksandar Kazulin,[2] former Chairman of BSDP and one of the most prominent Eastern-European human rights activist, and for advocating the release of American lawyer Emanuel Zeltser and his assistant Vladlena Funk during the U.S. - Belarus hostage crisis in 2008-2009. In an interview, Rynkevich, described Mr. Zeltser and Ms. Funk as "political prisoners" and noted that it was the "lack of evidence" against Mr. Zeltser and Ms. Funk that prompted the country’s authorities to hold the hearing behind closed doors. Rynkevich noted that "violence" had been used against the accused in custody in breach of international treaties signed by Belarus. "This is yet another shameful case for the Belarusian judiciary for which more than one generation of Belarusian legal experts will blush" said Rynkevich. "Belarus cannot have any grounds for holding them here except for the protection of someone else's interests" he added.[3][4]

The pressure on Rynkevich was so intense that he was forced to quit the bar in 2007. He continued to work in the interests of Kazulin as a member of public commission ‘Freedom for Kazulin’.[5][6] He suffered a concussion from policemen on March 2, 2006, when Kazulin tried to visit the All Belarusian People's Assembly. Rynkevich also received death threats.[7]

Rynkevich worked closely with the United States Department of State, the members of the US Congress, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe and other world democratic organization in the successful international campaign to free Kozulin. Yielding to intense international pressure, Belarusian dictator Lukashenka granted Kozulin presidential pardon in August 2008.[8]

Education

In 1992 Rynkevich graduated from Grodno State University (Belarus) cum laude majoring in history. In 1998, he graduated cum laude from Grodno State University Law School. Member of Minsk Bar since 1999.

Public life

Since 1989 Rynkevich has been actively working as a human rights defender.[9]

Rynkevich commenced his affiliation with the BSDP in 1991 as the Chairman of the BSDP Central Oversight Commission. In 1992 he was elected member of the Central Council and Executive Committee of BSDP, and in 1995 became the BSDP press-secretary and lead election counsel.[10] In 1995 Rynkevich co-founded Belarusian Social Democratic Union and engineered the amalgamation of the BSDP with the Party of the People’s Consent (PPC).

In 1995 Rynkevich was one of the founders of the Belarusian Association of Journalists and its legal department.[9][11][12] In 1996 he became one of the members of the Belarus Helsinki Commission.[13]

Rynkevich served as the vice-president of the Belarusian Media Legal Defence Centre (BMLD) in 1997-1998.

In 2001-2004 he worked closely with the Belarusian Citizens’ Legal Defence Centre, a prominent human rights organization. Rynkevich is one of the principal organizers of the citizens’ campaign "Belarus for the European Council" (BEC).

In 2007, Rynkevich founded Belarusian Public Commission for Rehabilitation of the Victims of Political Repressions (PCRVPR).

Academics and Publications. From 1998 to 2006, Rynkevich taught as Associate Professor in the College of Management and Entrepreneurship in Minsk. Rynkevich authored numerous publications on the issues of legal framework of mass media, criminal procedure and legal defence, and juridical-political articles.

In 2016 he attended the Russian Bolotnaya Square case as an independent observer and consulted the defence.[14]

References

  1. ↑ "Opposition candidate Ihar Rynkevich addresses voters". Naviny.by. 4 September 2008. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 19 December 2010.
  2. ↑ "Kazulin's Lawyers to File a Suit against Lukashenka". Charter 97. 2 February 2007. Retrieved 19 December 2010.
  3. ↑ Ihar Rynkevich. MT~Newswire
  4. ↑ Makovetskaya, I. (2007-03-13). "Игорь Рынкевич: "В юриспруденции, как в медицине: от фактов не скроешься"" [Ihar Rynkevich: Law is Like Medicine, You Can’t Ignore Facts] (in Russian). Deutsche Welle. Retrieved 2022-01-06.
  5. ↑ "Интервью Игоря Рынкевича, адвоката политзаключенного Александра Козулина, "Народной Воле"" [Lawyer Ihar Rynkevich, Defender of Alyaksander Kazulin] (in Russian). Spring96. 2007-04-30. Retrieved 2022-01-06.
  6. ↑ "Belarus: Release Of Political Prisoners Focuses On Kazulin Case". Radio Liberty. 2008-02-25. Retrieved 2022-01-06.
  7. ↑ "Адвокат Игорь Рынкевич обратился в милицию с заявлением, где просит привлечь к уголовной ответственности напавшего на него человека" [Lawyer Ihar Rynkevich Press Charges on Attacker] (in Russian). Viasna96. 2007-03-05. Retrieved 2022-01-06.
  8. ↑ "Belarus dissident leaves prison". BBC News. 16 August 2008. Archived from the original on 19 August 2008. Retrieved 20 August 2008.
  9. 1 2 "Игорь Рынкевич. ПОКА НЕ ПОЗДНО. Слово к офицеру милиции Владимиру Козловскому" [Ihar Rynkevich: While It’s Not too Late] (in Russian). Naviny.by. 2020-06-04. Retrieved 2022-01-06.
  10. ↑ "Лукашенко под давлением Запада помиловал Козулина" [Lukashenko Pardons Kazulin under West Pressure] (in Russian). Izvestiya. 2008-08-17. Retrieved 2022-01-06.
  11. ↑ "Юбилей нашего БАЖа" [BAJ Turns 15] (in Russian). Belarus Partisan. 2010-09-16. Retrieved 2022-01-06.
  12. ↑ "Рынкевич: новый закон о СМИ введёт в Беларуси информационный тоталитаризм" [Rynkevich: New Press Law Will Establish Totalitarian Rule in Belarus Media] (in Russian). Qwas.ru. 2008-06-16. Retrieved 2022-01-06.
  13. ↑ "Человек дня - белорусский адвокат Игорь Рынкевич" [Person of the Day: Belarusian Lawyer Ihar Rynkevich] (in Russian). Radio Liberty. 2008-02-08. Retrieved 2022-01-06.
  14. ↑ "Болотное дело» глазами очевидца" [Observing ‘Bolotnaya Square case’] (in Russian). Novaya Gazeta. 2013-08-05. Retrieved 2022-01-06.
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