Role of solicitors in legal defense of the accused on political litigation of the great terror period (1937–1938) and such in regard of the dissident movement (1960’s-1980’s)
Special features of the Soviet procedural law provided for the mandatory participation of the attorney, hired by the defendant himself or provided by the government, in addition to the participation of public prosecution (prosecutor) in the process. Nevertheless, defendants maintained “the right” of abandoning attorney services. Abandoning attorney services was often a tactical move – the defendant kind of pleaded guilty, demonstrated deep remorse, and fully relied on fairness and humanism of the Soviet court.