News on the topic: law
12.03.2010 Homel oblast court cancelled trial of another conscientious objector to military service
The trial of Yauhen Yakavenka was cancelled by the Homel oblast court. At first Yauhen was punished with arrest for ostensibly ignoring an order of the military enlistment office.
23.02.2010 Parties and religious organisations to be banned in Belarusian universities
Belarusian “parliamentarians” are drafting a new project of the Education Code. The chairman of the Education, culture and scientific and technical progress of the lower chamber of the “parliament” Uladzimir Zdanovich addressing the extended session of the Commission stated that the draft Education Code includes a ban on activities of political parties and religious organisations in universities, BelaPAN informs.
09.02.2010 Constitutional Court reluctant to consider revocation of Article 193-1
In December 2009 Kiryl Atamanchyk, activist of the Young Front youth movement, lodged an address with the Constitutional Court, urging the officials to provide legal assessment of the compliance of Article 193-1 of the Criminal Code with Article 36 of the Belarusian Constitution and Article 22 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
18.01.2010 Belarusian MPs not willing to tackle Article 193-1 issue, waiting for outer initiative
Deputies of the House of Representatives are not going to consider the issue of decriminalizing Article 193-1 of the Criminal Code, say participants of the 22 December New Year happening quoting Mr. Viktar Huminski, head of the House of Representatives’ Standing Commission for National Security.
21.12.2009 OSCE delegation discuss amendments to electoral code with opposition
On its two-day visit to Minsk, the OSCE delegation held a meeting with representatives of various pro-democratic forces of Belarus, including Anatol Liabedzka, Siarhei Kaliakin, Anatol Liaukovich, Yury Hubarevich, Vital Rymasheuski and Dzmitry Dashkevich.
15.12.2009 Belarusian authorities prepare decree on Internet limitations
Nasha Niva newspaper received a draft decree On measures for revising the use of the national segment of the World Wide Web.
10.12.2009 All persons liable for military service will be fingerprinted
‘Amendments to the law On state dactylographic registration envisages spreading the obligatory fingerprinting on all those who are liable for the army service,’ stated the Interior Minister Anatoly Kuliashou, Interfax informs.
09.12.2009 A return to NKVD practice
On 8 December the national security commission of the Chamber of Representatives held an extended sitting for discussion of some amendments to the laws by the deputies and invited specialists.
07.12.2009 Office of Prosecutor General received wrong punishment
About 1 500 people were drawn to administrative responsibility in the wrong way. This is the official information of the General Prosecutor’s office for nine months of 2009.
02.12.2009 Valiantsin Stefanovich: ‘No referendum is needed for the abolition of the death penalty, the legislation needs to be amended instead’
‘Legally, no referendum is needed for the abolition of the death penalty,’ says human rights activist and Viasna’s lawyer Valiantsin Stefanovich, commenting President Lukashenka’s recent statement in an interview with the La Stampa newspaper. Lukashenka said that the use of the death penalty is based on the results of the 1996 referendum and that, ‘under the Constitution, only another referendum can reverse its results.’
02.12.2009 Revocation of Article 193-1 still open-ended
Article 193-1 of the Criminal Code may be decriminalized in the near future, says Mr. Huminski, head of the Standing Commission for National Security of the House of Representatives of the National Assembly of Belarus, in reply to a complaint by Brest human rights lawyer Uladzimir Malei.
16.11.2009 Santa Clauses received answer from Office of Prosecutor General
The General Prosecutor’s Office found the activities of Santa Clauses on New Year’s Eve illegal. The group of Santa Clauses will be brought to responsibility if it will be established that they take systematic part in an unregistered organization, says the letter of the General Prosecutor’s Office.
16.11.2009 Ales Bialiatski: ‘There ten times more NGOs in Armenia than in Belarus’
According to information of the BelaPAN Aleh Slizheuski, head of the civil associations board of the Ministry of Justice, stated that there was prepared a draft law that would decrease the legal terms for consideration of the documents submitted for NGOs for obtaining the state registration (at present the legal term is one month). The official also stated that the procedure of registration would be simplified.
16.11.2009 Kobryn: district court refuses to consider Aliaksandr Mekh’s complaint against unlawful detention
Alaksandr Mekh, the head of the BPF branch in Kobryn, got an answer from the district court over his arrest at the Dazhynki harvest festival.
06.11.2009 Believer fined for defending his right to alternative army service
A believer from Jehovah's Witnesses community has been punished by a huge fine for demanding the realization of his right to alternative military service.
