Aliaksandr Lukashenka proposed to judge his opponents in absentia. He said this at today’s meeting of the Security Council. According to him, he is talking about those who commit «especially dangerous crimes.»
«I do not think that the innovation will affect any significant number of our citizens. Apparently, these are a few of the so-called fugitives. Unfortunately, there are some of them. There will be something to think about for those who intend to damage the country, people, the economy, and then «hide» abroad,» Lukashenka said.
He did not specify which articles of the Criminal Code he was talking about.
Later, Dmitry Gora, the Chairman of the Investigative Committee, said following the meeting of the Security Council that a law will appear in Belarus that allows to conduct proceedings in criminal cases against persons outside the country in absentia. According to him, in the near future the project will be sent to the Council of Ministers for subsequent submission to the House of Representatives.
«The head of state supported the proposal, and in the near future the draft will be sent to the Council of Ministers for submission to the House of Representatives of the National Assembly,» he said.
Gora explained that the bill will be related to Lukashenka’s opponents, against whom criminal cases have been initiated, but other countries have refused to extradite the accused.
«In order to implement the principle of the inevitability of criminal liability, a proposal is made to consider criminal cases against such persons in the courts in absentia, if we are refused to extradite them or if there is no response to the extradition request, that is, without the participation of the person against whom the criminal case is being reviewed,» the Chairman of the Investigative Committee said.
He said that the draft would even provide «guarantees for the protection of the rights of the accused» and standards provided for in European legislation. According to the official, the adoption of such a bill will allow not only to convict Lukashenka’s opponents, but also to recover money and property from them.
«The implementation of this institution will allow us to ensure the inevitability of punishment, as well as compensation for damage in criminal cases by persons who have committed criminal offenses. I think that this will have a fairly effective preventive effect,» he said.
Source: Reform.by
