For civil servants and military personnel: Belarus introduces death penalty for state treason

For officials and military personnel
Belarus introduces death penalty for treason

Belarus still carries out the death penalty – as the last country in Europe and in the future probably even in significantly more cases. From now on, it can also be imposed on state employees if they make disparaging remarks about the state. This also applies to statements about the military.

The ex-Soviet republic of Belarus is expanding the use of the death penalty in its already strict criminal law – civil servants and military personnel can in future be sentenced to death in cases of state treason. This was decided by the parliament in Minsk in the final reading of the law, as reported by the state news agency Belta.

Belarus, ruled with an iron fist by ruler Alexander Lukashenko, is the last country in Europe where the death penalty is still carried out. Last year, the country extended the death penalty to the preparation of acts of terrorism under sharp international criticism. This was specifically aimed at acts of sabotage on the railway, with which Belarusian activists tried to stop the attack by Russian troops on Ukraine.

Lukashenko has made his country available to Moscow as a base of operations in the war against Ukraine. Joint troops are also being formed with Russia. So far, however, Belarus has not actively intervened in the war. However, another tightening of criminal law is also related to the war. In the future, the offense of defaming the Republic of Belarus will also include allegedly disparaging statements about the military – similar to those in Russia. Thousands of people have been imprisoned in Belarus for political reasons since Lukashenko suppressed a popular movement against his remaining in office in autumn 2020.

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