Virtual Lawyer for Belarusians Inside the Country

Starting today, Advakatby_bot – an automated service in Telegram for consulting victims of repression – is now operational.

The bot was developed by lawyers who lost their licenses for defending political prisoners. Support was provided by the Human Rights Center "Viasna," the BYSOL and "A Country to Live in" funds, the By_Help civic campaign, and the Dissidentby initiative.

This chatbot offers advice based on the options selected by the user. Advakatby_bot provides consultations for the following situations:

• "Your loved one or relative has been detained";
• "You are summoned by the authorities";
• "You are planning to cross the border";
• "Your loved one or relative is facing problems in a penal colony";
• "Receive assistance or urgently evacuate from Belarus."

Advakatby_bot warns about the necessity to delete the chatbot after use, with repeated reminders during its usage and a link to a corresponding video instruction (developed by Cyberpartisans).

Soon, Advakatby_bot will be available in a web version, which will only work with a VPN (or abroad), making it safer for users in Belarus.