MP: law against glorification of Nazism may appear 'in near future'

Ex-Minister of Information, and now an MP of the House of Representatives Lilyia Ananich recently said on the air of ONT that "process of active development" for the adoption of a legislative act on the inadmissibility of glorification of Nazism is currently underway. "Perhaps by the spring session we will have a comprehensive document, although it may appear in parliament in the near future," the MP said.

Usually the spring session in the Belarusian parliament opens on April 2. The authorities' desire to pass the law earlier can be explained simply: on March 25, the Belarusian opposition traditionally celebrates Freedom Day, the anniversary of the proclamation of the Belarusian People's Republic. And the white-red-white flag of the BNR is a symbol of the Belarusian opposition. It is under this flag that people are protesting against unfair elections and violence of the security forces in 2020.

There is a reason to believe that the document Liliya Ananich is talking about will introduce responsibility for the use of the white-red-white flag. Currently, Belarus is already working on the law "On Counteraction to Extremism", which prohibits Nazi symbols and attributes. However, the WRW-flag, which was used by the members of the Union of Belarusian Youth during the Second World War, does not fall under its definition. The new law can "fix" this.