{"id":4986,"date":"2022-10-28T14:13:59","date_gmt":"2022-10-28T11:13:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/d9lb3qyw8jhbr.cloudfront.net\/?p=4986"},"modified":"2022-10-28T14:14:01","modified_gmt":"2022-10-28T11:14:01","slug":"review-of-the-fight-against-extremism-in-belarus-in-july-september-2022","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/d9lb3qyw8jhbr.cloudfront.net\/en\/review-of-the-fight-against-extremism-in-belarus-in-july-september-2022\/","title":{"rendered":"Review of the fight against «extremism» in Belarus in July-September 2022"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

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The review reflects the main trends in the use of «anti-extremist» and «anti-terrorist» laws in Belarus from July to September 2022. We analyze the publications of state media, pro-government Telegram channels, independent media, and human rights organizations. State bodies and state media continued to use «extremism» as an instrument of political pressure and persecution of civil society representatives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During the three months analyzed, new repressive practices have been employed under the guise of fighting «extremism.» Legislation has been amended to allow deprivation of citizenship and confiscation of property of dissidents who left the country. People who speak out against the war continue to be prosecuted for «incitement of hatred.» People have been charged with «treason against the state» for transferring information about the movement of the military to Telegram channels. The period of July-September 2022 was marked by opening the first case on the «denial of the genocide of the Belarusian people» for «incorrect» interpretation of history. First sentences for attempting to «disrupt the referendum» were imposed. Patreon accounts and opposition stickers began to be recognized as «extremist materials,» while professional chats started to be recognized as «extremist formations.» Bookstores started to be fined for selling «extremist» books, websites were blocked for mentioning «terrorists» in their content, and people were forced to remove forbidden tattoos.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Legislative changes<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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From July to September 2022, the Belarusian authorities considered three legislative changes directly or indirectly related to «extremism.» The changes concerned the the possibility of restricting people from leaving Belarus for the following reasons: if this contradicts the interests of the «national security,» in order to conduct trials in absentia against people who fled abroad being accused of «extremism,» as well as in order to adopt the rules on depriving such people of their Belarusian citizenship. The Belarusian authorities continue to use the rules of law as a repressive tool. Such changes are aimed at even greater oppression, intimidation, and persecution of the dissidents.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

On 23 June 2022, the National Legal Portal published<\/a> a draft law on amending a number of Belarusian laws, in particular, the law «On the procedure for leaving the Republic of Belarus and entring the Republic of Belarus.» This act expands the list of grounds on which the right to leave Belarus may be restricted. Besides other reasons, exit may be restricted if it «contradicts the interests of the national security of the Republic of Belarus» or if an administrative process is being carried out against a person for offenses against the governance procedures, including those within the framework of the «political» articles of the Code of Administrative Offenses (hereinafter \u2013 Administrative Code), for example, under Articles 24.3 («Disobedience to a lawful order or demand of an official representative in the exercise of one’s official powers») and 24.23 of the Administrative Code («Violation of the procedure for organizing or carrying out mass events.») More details about this change can be found in our thematic overview<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On 21 July 2022, A. Lukashenko signed Law No. 199-3 «On Amending the Criminal Procedure Code of the Republic of Belarus,»<\/a> which introduces the possibility of conducting special (in absentia<\/em>) trials of people who are accused under a number of «extremist» and «terrorist» articles who reside abroad and «evade» visiting the body conducting the criminal process. In order to initiate such proceedings, two conditions must be met simultaneously:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  1. a person was charged under one of the 43 articles of the Criminal Code, many of which are used for «political» persecution:<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n