1) The document is a speech by a Belarusian lawyer accepting an award from the CCBE (Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe) for defending clients and upholding the independence of the legal profession in Belarus. 2) In 2011, after Belarusian presidential elections, hundreds of opposition candidates and protesters were arrested, and their lawyers were denied access and prevented from communicating with clients held in KGB prisons. 3) In response, the Belarusian Ministry of Justice launched a campaign against these lawyers, disbarring several who complained about client mistreatment or election fraud. The new law allowed full government control over the Bar.