Amendments to laws on protection of sovereignty and constitutional order approved by A. Lukashenko

16 июля 2021

Amendments to the laws on the protection of sovereignty and the constitutional order were approved by our President yesterday. The basis for its introduction is the presence of riots accompanied by violence or the threat of violence from a group of individuals and organizations as a result of which there is a danger to the life and health of people, territorial integrity and the existence of the state. Some formulations were specified. It was not previously determined what exactly to consider a riot. This gives an ambiguous understanding of the grounds for the introduction of a state of emergency, armed rebellion, mass riot, interethnic and interfaith conflicts, which are justified by violent actions, pose an immediate threat to the life and safety of citizens. The new law also clarifies the list of possible measures and temporary restrictions applied when the state of emergency is declared. This regulation has been developed taking into account the experience of responding to riots in the past year.

The range of law enforcement agencies involved in ensuring the state of emergency is also expanding. This will make it possible to use the forces and means of the Ministry of Emergency Situations, the Investigation Committee, the Department of Financial Investigations and the Committee of Court-Expertise as efficiently and legally as possible. Their tasks are supplemented by the prevention and suppression of riots, ensuring the protection of public order.