BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

18/11/2007

KGB chief speaks at Belarus parliament; first reading of amendments against extremism approved

The House of Representatives of the Belarusian National Assembly has approved the first reading of a bill of amendments against extremist activities, news agency BelaPAN reports.

Yury Zhadobin, Chairman of the Belarus State Security Committee (KGB), told the members of parliament that the amendments ensued from the Extremism Prevention Law. In particular, according to Zhadobin, Article 64 of the Criminal Code would be amended to treat political and ideological motives, as well as enmity against a social group, as aggravants. The bill would also ban election campaign materials, speeches at rallies and demonstrations, and statements published through the media from containing propaganda of war and calls for a violent change of the constitutional system, a seizure of state power, the formation of illegal armed groups, acts of terrorism and other extremist activities. The legislation would prohibit the distribution of extremist material and statements, BelaPAN marks.

According to the KGB chief, the Non-Government Organizations Law and the Political Parties Law would be amended to ban organizations that set as their aim any extremist activity. The Administrative Offenses Code would provide for penalties for the manufacturing, storage, distribution and public display of Nazi symbols. The Criminal Code of Belarus would have an amendment penalizing the organization of activities of extremist organizations, the funding of extremist activities and calls for such activities, news agency cites Zhadobin.

Source:

http://www.axisglobe.com/article.asp?article=1431