BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

Fri, Dec. 02, 2005

Belarus house outlaws criticism of state

MYKOLA DEBYOLA

Associated Press

MINSK, Belarus - Belarus' lower house of parliament passed legislation Friday that would make it a crime to discredit the state, be a member of the political opposition or an advocate for human rights in the hard-line former Soviet republic.

Opposition leaders poured scorn on the proposed amendments to the Criminal Code, saying they were meant to stifle political foes of President Alexander Lukashenko and warning they could lead to show trials.

The amendments still must be approved by the upper house and signed by Lukashenko before becoming law.

Belarus' security service, still known by its Soviet-era name KGB, said the amendments were needed to prevent a mass uprising such as those that followed elections and brought opposition leaders to power in three other former Soviet republics.

But Anatoly Lebedko, chairman of the National Committee of Democratic Forces, told The Associated Press "the authorities are trying to scare the people before the (2006 presidential) elections, so that no one will dare, even when abroad, to say anything bad in Lukashenko's address."

He said the new legislation could lead to "show trials" of "enemies of the people," as in the darkest Stalinist times.

One change forbids "calls or exhortations for foreign nations or foreign or international organizations to commit acts intended to damage the internal security of Belarus, its sovereignty or territorial integrity." Another forbids "distribution of material containing such calls" and violators would face up to three years in prison, more if the calls are distributed through mass media.

Other changes in the code would criminalize "training or other preparations for participation in group actions or gross violations of social order, and equally, financing or other material assistance for such actions."

First elected in 1994 after campaigning against corruption, Lukashenko has prolonged his rule through elections and referendums that opposition groups and Western governments say were fixed. Last year, a popular vote gave him the right to run for a new term in 2006 and in any future elections. Next year's presidential balloting is expected in July.

Lukashenko has reintroduced Soviet symbols, disbanded parliament, closed independent media and maintained rigid Soviet-style state controls over the economy. Many opposition leaders have been jailed or have disappeared.

The Belarusian leader has become a pariah in the West for his intolerance of dissent, and has accused Western governments of aiding opposition groups and seeking his ouster. The United States has labeled him "Europe's last dictator."

Ake Peterson, the Minsk-based representative of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, said Friday the amendments "have the potential to be a flagrant violation of a number of the OSCE principles and commitments that Belarus has subscribed to."

He said the article on discrediting the state raised particular concern "since it provides for criminal liability for submitting to an international organization false information on the situation in the country." The provision could undermine the OSCE's work, Peterson said.

Source:

http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/mld/ledgerenquirer/13313655.htm