US embassy cable - 05MINSK1363

UNCLAS MINSK 001363 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV, PHUM, BO 
SUBJECT: Extreme Extremist Law Passes First Reading 
 
 
1. (SBU) Summary: On October 26 Belarus' parliament passed the 
first reading of a bill to combat extremism.  The bill specifically 
mentions political parties, NGOs, mass media, and religious 
organizations as potential sources of extremism.  A senior BKGB 
officer introduced the law to parliament, and plainly stated the 
law is meant to prevent foreign countries, specifically the United 
States, from influencing the political situation in Belarus.  End 
summary. 
 
2. (SBU) Belarus' lower chamber of parliament, the House of 
Representatives, on October 26 passed the first reading of a strict 
new bill ostensibly aimed at fighting extremism in Belarus.  Before 
it becomes law the bill still has to pass a second reading, be 
approved by the upper chamber of parliament, and be signed by the 
president.  However, in Lukashenko's Belarus few laws appear before 
parliament which do not have Lukashenko's prior approval. 
 
 
Extremism Sounds like Democracy 
------------------------------- 
 
3. (SBU) The bill, "On Combating Extremism," provides, "a legal and 
organizational basis for combating extremism to defend the rights 
and freedoms of people, the constitutional order, and the 
territorial integrity of the Republic of Belarus, providing 
security to society and the government."  The bill defines 
extremism as, "Activities of NGOs, political parties, religious or 
other organizations, mass media, foreign or stateless persons, to 
plan, organize, prepare or carry out actions aimed at undermining 
the national security of the state, violently changing the 
constitutional order and territorial integrity of the Republic of 
Belarus, seizing or appropriating state powers, creating illegal 
armed formations, implementing terrorist acts," [note: the version 
of the bill made public has a line of text in the definition of 
extremism that was censored by authorities]. 
 
4. (SBU) The bill would forbid public calls for or financing of 
extremist acts, public use of Nazi symbols, printing or 
distributing extremist materials, and performing extremist acts 
during mass demonstrations.  The bill charges state security organs 
with watching for such activities, and allows for the liquidation 
of groups involved in extremism, as well as other penalties, "under 
the law." 
 
5. (SBU) The bill would also specifically forbid "organizations of 
foreign governments and their representatives" from: calling for or 
conducting extremist acts, publishing in mass media any information 
about extremist groups, spreading or printing information on banned 
organizations, conducting or participating in mass actions. 
Violators would lose their government accreditation and/or be 
deported. 
 
 
BKGB Admits Law is Political 
---------------------------- 
 
6. (SBU) When First Deputy Chairman of the BKGB Vasily Dementey 
introduced this bill to parliament, he said it was needed to 
prevent foreign countries, particularly the United States, from 
destabilizing Belarus.  Dementey told MPs, "The facts show that the 
main goal of foreign countries, the United States in particular, is 
destabilization of the political situation in our country....  An 
analysis of the sociopolitical situation revealed the rising 
incidence of anti-social manifestations, including that of 
extremist nature, in the activity of politicized groups of the 
Republic of Belarus and some foreign non-profit organizations, 
public and religious figures and the non-state media....  There 
have been instances of illegal financing by foreign organizations 
of politicized extremist organizations, the distribution of 
provocative information products destabilizing the social and 
political situation in the country....  We see full mobilization, 
the groups are created that will try to topple the constitutional 
order in Belarus by all means of influence, the most extreme form 
of which is terrorism."  He added that the United States and other 
countries have created centers in Lithuania and Poland for 
surveillance and to influence the media. 
 
7. (SBU) Comment: This law would make sense in a country that 
actually has extremist elements.  However, Belarus has very few 
ethnic, inter-confessional or separatist problems.  In the 
Belarusian context, and especially given the BKGB's introduction, 
this law is clearly aimed at the political opposition, whom the 
regime labels as "extremist radicals bent on destabilizing the 
country."  In Belarus, the regime views promoting democracy as 
promoting extremism and terrorism, despite the Belarusian 
Constitution stating Belarus is a "democratic republic." 
 
KROL