Belarusian MPs suggest death penalty for planning terrorist attacks

The House of Representatives (lower house) of the National Assembly of Belarus has approved amendments to the country’s Criminal Code, suggesting capital punishment for attempts to commit acts of terrorism, the chamber’s Telegram channel informs.

“The bill was prepared to deter destructive elements and demonstrate the state's resolve in fighting terrorist activities,” the Belarusian House of Representatives stated.

The lawmakers approved the first and second readings of the bill.

“Destructive forces are continuing terrorist and extremist activity with the aim of killing people," house speaker Vladimir Andreychenko said. “They won’t stop at anything in their attempts to disable railway equipment and tracks, objects of strategic importance, to set fire to residential buildings and blow up vehicles in public places,” he added.

Zerkalo.io news portal informs that suspects in the case of diversions on Belarusian railways were charged with committing an act of terrorism. According to the prosecution, they may have been involved in the destruction of railway signal boxes. These incidents became more common after the start of the war in Ukraine, when the BYPOL initiative called on Belarusians to block railways transporting Russian military convoys.

Belarus is the only country in Europe that still allows the death penalty. According to the current legislation, capital punishment can be introduced for criminals who commit acts of terrorism that cause a loss of life, brutal murders and multiple murders.

The current version of the capital punishment law does not introduce the death penalty for attempts to commit a crime or for planning a crime. Prosecutors can only seek the death penalty if a terrorist attack was committed by an organised group, committed with the use of nuclear energy facilities, or with the use of radioactive materials, toxic chemicals or biological materials.