Belarus tightens punishment for certain crimes - law

<p> MINSK, Jun 8 - PrimePress. Belarus has toughened criminal liability for certain types of crimes, in accordance with Law #112-Z of May 26, 2021 “On Amendments to the Code of Criminal Responsibility”, published on the National Legal Internet Portal on June 8. </p> <p>   </p> <p> The law amends the Criminal Code, the Code of Criminal Procedure and the Penal Enforcement Code of Belarus. </p> <p>   </p> <p> In particular, the document intensifies criminal responsibility for defamation, calls for actions against the national security of Belarus, intentional unauthorized copying, interception of computer information or other misappropriation of computer information that resulted in significant harm. </p> <p>   </p> <p> The law also intensifies punishment for resistance to an officer of internal affairs bodies or another person in the performance of their duties to protect public order; violence or threat of violence against an officer of internal affairs bodies or their relatives; violence or threat of violence, destruction or damage to property against an official performing his official duties or another person performing his public duty to protect public order or suppress offenses, or their relatives; violence against a judge, a public servant, or a person performing his public duties to protect public order or suppress offenses is toughened. </p> <p>   </p> <p> Under the law, criminal liability is increased for insulting a government official in connection with the performance of his or her official duties; public calls for organizing or holding an illegal meeting, rally, street procession, demonstration, picketing or involving persons in such mass events, if their conduct resulted in the death of people by negligence, causing serious injury to a person or causing damage on a large scale. </p> <p>   </p> <p> More serious criminal responsibility is introduced for desecration of state symbols, discrediting Belarus, deliberate blocking of transport communications, which caused damage, and evasion from payment of taxes and fees, which caused large-scale damage. </p> <p>   </p> <p> Criminal liability is also introduced for intentional illegal provision of information about the private life and personal data of another person without his/her consent, causing substantial harm to the rights, freedoms and legitimate interests of a citizen, including those committed against a person or his relatives in connection with the performance of his official activities or public duty. </p> <p>   </p> <p> According to the law, criminal prosecution is subject to the dissemination by the owner of an Internet resource, not registered as a network publication, of information whose dissemination is prohibited, committed within a year after the imposition of an administrative penalty for the same violation. </p> <p>   </p> <p> Criminal liability shall be introduced for participation in an extremist formation and facilitation of extremist activity; repeated violation of the procedure for organization and holding of mass events, committed by a person who, within one year after imposition of two administrative sanctions for such actions, again violated the procedure for organization or holding of mass events. </p> <p>   </p> <p> Criminal liability is introduced for driving a vehicle without a license again within one year after the imposition of an administrative penalty, and tax fraud. </p> <p>   </p> <p> The maximum term of community service was increased up to 360 hours from 240 hours, the rules for assignment of a milder penalty in the pre-trial agreement and assignment of punishment for cumulative crimes were changed. </p> <p>   </p> <p> Some provisions of the law will come into force ten days after its official publication, others three months after its official publication. End </p>

2021-06-09

Primepress