Belarus is the only European country that has not abolished the death penalty. Now there is an additional fact: the maximum penalty threatens civil servants and members of the army and is carried out with a shot in the head.
In Belarus, state officials and army personnel face the death penalty if convicted of high treason. President Alexander Lukashenko signed a corresponding law on Thursday, the state news agency Belta reported. Belarus is the only country in Europe that has not yet abolished the death penalty. It was imposed for crimes such as murder or terror. Executions are carried out with a shot in the back of the head.
“The death penalty can now be imposed on high treason committed by an official or a member of the military,” Lukashenko’s press service said in a statement. The law is part of the criminal law reforms, which are intended to better combat extremists and opponents of the state.
Jail for ‘discrediting’
Another amendment passed by Lukashenko on Thursday would see anyone found guilty of “discrediting” the Belarusian armed forces face jail time. Russia passed a similar law following invading neighboring Ukraine just over a year ago.
The amendments to the criminal code approved by Lukashenko include penalties for spreading “terrorism propaganda, defamation of the armed forces and paramilitary units and violations of the protection of state secrets,” Belta reported. The pre-trial detention will be increased from three to ten days.
While Belarus has not deployed any troops of its own to Ukraine, it did allow Russia to use its territory as a launch pad for Russian operations in February 2022. Russian warplanes and drones use Belarusian airspace for attacks on Ukraine.
(APA/Archyde.com/TASS)