Belarusian parliament adopts death penalty bill for treason committed by officials

By Burc Eruygur

ISTANBUL (AA) - The House of Representatives of the Belarusian National Assembly adopted a bill on Wednesday introducing the possibility of the death penalty for treason committed by government officials and servicemen.

“In order to have a deterrent effect on destructive elements, as well as to demonstrate a resolute fight against treason to the state, the draft law proposes amendments … providing for the possibility of applying an exceptional measure of punishment in the form of the death penalty for treason committed by an official holding a public position or a person to whom the status of a serviceman applies,” the press service of the lower house of the parliament said on Telegram.

According to the statement, the draft bill also added an article aiming to establish responsibility for "deliberately disseminating false information that discredits the armed forces, other troops, military formations, and paramilitary organizations of Belarus.”

“The introduction of such a legal norm will be an effective preventive measure for the dissemination of deliberately false information that does not correspond to reality about the Belarusian army and other ‘power structures’,” the statement further noted.

The draft law adopted by deputies in the House of Representatives in the first reading must be adopted in a second reading, approved in the upper house of the Belarusian National Assembly, and signed by President Alexander Lukashenko to become effective.