GOB OFFICIALS OUTLINE ANTI-TERROR LAWS

C O N F I D E N T I A L MINSK 000067 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR T/ISN E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/31/2018 TAGS: ENRG PTER MNUC PGOV BO SUBJECT: GOB OFFICIALS OUTLINE ANTI-TERROR LAWS Classified By: Ambassador Karen Stewart for reason 1.4 (d). Summary -------------- ¶1. (U) On January 16 and 17, poloff attended the Legal Workshop for Member States of the CIS on the Criminal Aspects of Countering Nuclear, Chemical, and Biological Terrorism. The workshop was sponsored by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, and the Executive Committee of the Commonwealth of Independent States. Participants included representatives from governments of CIS countries, the CIS Anti-Terrorism Center, the International Atomic Energy Agency, and the sponsoring organizations, while Brent Eastman from the ISN Bureau, poloff, and members of the diplomatic community attended as observers. End summary. Member Governments Outline Anti-Terrorism Legislation -------------- -------------- ¶2. (U) Most members of the CIS presented summaries of their countries' anti-terror legislation. Aleksandr Tvorovskiy, Deputy Head of the BKGB's Legal Department presented for Belarus. According to Tvorovskiy, Belarus has criminalized acts linked directly to terrorism and has implemented export controls and other measures to combat smuggling of nuclear material. Belarusian law includes statutes allowing for undercover and sting operations when investigating potential terrorist activities. He pointed out that in smuggling cases supervisors can be held liable if materials are smuggled from their facilities. ¶3. (U) Tvorovskiy stated that Belarusian laws regarding terrorism are modeled after the country's more-developed organized crime laws. In his opinion, laws which target groups of perpetrators acting in collusion are most effective in combating terrorism because terrorists necessarily operate in groups. Similar to organized crime laws, Belarusian anti-terrorism law includes provisions for prosecution for complicity as well as immunity for those aiding investigations. Tvorovskiy said that since methods used by terrorist groups continually evolve, the GOB must also be ready to adjust its legal framework and law enforcement efforts. He also stated that Belarusian terrorism laws are written so that international laws take precedence over national laws. Comment -------------- ¶4. (C) Though Belarusian anti-terrorism laws are based on organized crime statutes and presuppose that terrorists work in groups, individual smugglers present a far more likely threat than terrorist organizations working in country. According to other sources, smuggling operations are often initiated by opportunistic individuals who exploit security flaws at nuclear facilities. This underscores the need for increased physical security for nuclear facilities in Belarus and highlights the importance of the current Department of Energy project to safeguard fissile material at Belarus' Sosny Nuclear Research Center. STEWART