About 3 thousand people refuse to be fingerprinted in Homel region
Policemen practice deception — they ask to sign a refusal, and then subject those who refused to responsibility via court. Usual fine for this is 700 000 Br.
According to the General public prosecutor, more than 2 million Belarusians have gone through obligatory dactyloscopy by now. For example, 500 thousand people have given their fingerprints in Mahileu region alone.
"These are persons liable for military service, convicts, state employees who are obliged to go through dactyloscopy: police, Ministry of Emergency Situations. There are about half a million such people", — Mahileu policemen have said to Euroradio.
According to the new law, all persons liable for military service should be fingerprinted - those who are on the record of military enlistment offices. This concerns both men and women. 421 thousand people have gone through this procedure since September 2008. However, a lot of people refuse to give fingerprints. There are about 3 thousand such people in Homel region. They will be subjected to responsibility under the article of non-fulfillment of police's legal demands.
"There is no responsibility for direct refusal from dactyloscopy. However, administrative charges for non-fulfillment of police's legal demands arrive to courts now. Because this is not just a certain policeman - he represents the Law. When there are trials on cases like this, and some trials do take place, it's usually a fine for 700 000 Br", — the press-center of Homel police has informed.
The lawyer Harry Pahaniayla says that, in the opinion of human rights defenders, a person is obliged to come to a police department if he or she received a subpoena, but has a right to refuse from dactyloscopy.
