Police no longer liable for weapon use damage
Changes in the law occurred against the backdrop of the fight against protests / Illustration by Euroradio
Alyaksandr Lukashenka has signed the law "On Amendments to the Laws on National Security of the Republic of Belarus." Earlier it had been approved by the Parliament. What are the changes?
The police force is not liable for damage caused by the use of physical force, non-lethals, fire weapons, military, and special equipment if such use was "carried out under the requirements of legislative acts governing the activities of these bodies. Also, the internal affairs bodies get the right to use military and special equipment to stop "mass riots."
Police also get the right to prohibit citizens from taking video or photographs. The police themselves, "in the performance of official duties," will be able to audio-and-video record "the situation around, including citizens." All this already happened last year during the suppression of mass protests.
The main provisions of the law will take effect a month after its official publication.
