Extreme Extremist Law Passes First Reading

UNCLAS MINSK 001363

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PHUM BO
SUBJECT: Extreme Extremist Law Passes First Reading



1. (SBU) Summary: On October 26 Belarus' parliament passed the
first reading of a bill to combat extremism. The bill specifically
mentions political parties, NGOs, mass media, and religious
organizations as potential sources of extremism. A senior BKGB
officer introduced the law to parliament, and plainly stated the
law is meant to prevent foreign countries, specifically the United
States, from influencing the political situation in Belarus. End
summary.


2. (SBU) Belarus' lower chamber of parliament, the House of
Representatives, on October 26 passed the first reading of a strict
new bill ostensibly aimed at fighting extremism in Belarus. Before
it becomes law the bill still has to pass a second reading, be
approved by the upper chamber of parliament, and be signed by the
president. However, in Lukashenko's Belarus few laws appear before
parliament which do not have Lukashenko's prior approval.


Extremism Sounds like Democracy
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3. (SBU) The bill, "On Combating Extremism," provides, "a legal and
organizational basis for combating extremism to defend the rights
and freedoms of people, the constitutional order, and the
territorial integrity of the Republic of Belarus, providing
security to society and the government." The bill defines
extremism as, "Activities of NGOs, political parties, religious or
other organizations, mass media, foreign or stateless persons, to
plan, organize, prepare or carry out actions aimed at undermining
the national security of the state, violently changing the
constitutional order and territorial integrity of the Republic of
Belarus, seizing or appropriating state powers, creating illegal
armed formations, implementing terrorist acts," [note: the version
of the bill made public has a line of text in the definition of
extremism that was censored by authorities].


4. (SBU) The bill would forbid public calls for or financing of
extremist acts, public use of Nazi symbols, printing or
distributing extremist materials, and performing extremist acts
during mass demonstrations. The bill charges state security organs
with watching for such activities, and allows for the liquidation
of groups involved in extremism, as well as other penalties, "under
the law."


5. (SBU) The bill would also specifically forbid "organizations of
foreign governments and their representatives" from: calling for or
conducting extremist acts, publishing in mass media any information
about extremist groups, spreading or printing information on banned
organizations, conducting or participating in mass actions.
Violators would lose their government accreditation and/or be
deported.


BKGB Admits Law is Political
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6. (SBU) When First Deputy Chairman of the BKGB Vasily Dementey
introduced this bill to parliament, he said it was needed to
prevent foreign countries, particularly the United States, from
destabilizing Belarus. Dementey told MPs, "The facts show that the
main goal of foreign countries, the United States in particular, is
destabilization of the political situation in our country.... An
analysis of the sociopolitical situation revealed the rising
incidence of anti-social manifestations, including that of
extremist nature, in the activity of politicized groups of the
Republic of Belarus and some foreign non-profit organizations,
public and religious figures and the non-state media.... There
have been instances of illegal financing by foreign organizations
of politicized extremist organizations, the distribution of
provocative information products destabilizing the social and
political situation in the country.... We see full mobilization,
the groups are created that will try to topple the constitutional
order in Belarus by all means of influence, the most extreme form
of which is terrorism." He added that the United States and other
countries have created centers in Lithuania and Poland for
surveillance and to influence the media.


7. (SBU) Comment: This law would make sense in a country that
actually has extremist elements. However, Belarus has very few
ethnic, inter-confessional or separatist problems. In the
Belarusian context, and especially given the BKGB's introduction,
this law is clearly aimed at the political opposition, whom the
regime labels as "extremist radicals bent on destabilizing the
country." In Belarus, the regime views promoting democracy as
promoting extremism and terrorism, despite the Belarusian
Constitution stating Belarus is a "democratic republic."

KROL