2023-10-19 16:38:03
The draft law “On changing laws in matters of national security” is published on the National Legal Internet Portal. It provides for amendments to the law “On military duty and military service”. Let’s see what innovations the Belarusian authorities came up with.
Summons via SMS
If the innovations are accepted, they will be called to the military office via SMS to the phone. And even a disconnected phone will not save. The draft law stipulates that if the SMS is sent, then the conscript has been called.
Telecommunications operators will be obliged to send SMS messages to lists from the military commissions and the KGB. Also, at the request of the military commissions or the KGB, within a week, they will provide information on the numbers of citizens who are on the military register or are required to be on it.
According to the law, citizens will have to notify the military office about a change in their personal phone number.
Summons anywhere
If earlier a summons to the military office could be served only at home and only with a receipt, then if the bill is adopted, it will be possible to do it anywhere. Although at work, although in a cafe or on the street.
In the draft law, the term “at the location”, i.e. anywhere, is prescribed.
Increased fines
The draft law also prescribes a significant increase in fines for failure to appear at the military office – several times. If now the fine for not appearing at the military office is 5 basic rubles, or 180 rubles, then the draft law provides for an increase to 10-30 basic rubles. That is, up to 1110 rubles.
It is also foreseen to increase the fines for “officials” who did not inform the citizens about the summons to the military service. Now it is 3 basic, or 111 rubles. If the bill is approved, there will be 20 basic, or 740 rubles.
Also, after the adoption of the law, the fines for “violation of military registration obligations” will increase, that is, if one does not inform the military office about the move or some other information. Now it is 5 basic, or 185 rubles. They want to make up to 30 basic, or 1110 rubles.
So far, this bill is not under consideration in the schedule of the House of Representatives, so it is not clear when it will be considered.
The criminal responsibility also increases if a person does not show up for the draft: it used to be up to two years of imprisonment, now it is up to three.
Not only the army
Avoiding a summons or other official notice from the authorities can also become difficult.
This is provided for by the draft law “On changing the codes” – it has already been approved by the House of Representatives in two readings. The document introduces the concept of “legally significant message”. These are any statements, notices, notices, demands and other messages that lead to the emergence, change or termination of civil rights and obligations. That is, after the adoption of the law, the state authorities can summon you not only by letter or summons.
“Violates the laws of human logic”
According to the former lawyer of the Lukashenka Administration, and now the representative of “NAU” (“People’s Anti-Crisis Administration”) Artyom Praskalovich, this way the state simplifies its life, but there is no logic in this.
“Any normal law always has a justification, and it consists in solving the real problems that people have, first of all. In this case, we can conclude that the problems are rather with the state. In particular, with the fact that no one has a burning desire to join Lukashenka’s army or Putin’s war (if suddenly).
After all, the problem of “evading receipt” of subpoenas and other documents has existed for a very long time. And it was precisely the citizens who suffered from this (for example, single mothers in alimony cases, when the ex-husband avoided receiving papers in every possible way). But the state somehow indulged itself. Apparently, it has stopped. That’s why he wants to simplify his life,” says the lawyer.
The lawyer also says that it will be very difficult to evade such measures if the bill is adopted.
“You can try not to have a mobile phone number in your name. But partly, unfortunately, no way. As from all other arbitrariness on the part of Lukashenka’s regime. The only option is to seek a change in this regime,” says Artyom Praskalovich.
According to lawyer Mikhail Kirilyuk, now it is not even important for Belarus what is “written in the law”, because the country is in “legal default”.
“If they want to find someone, they will track them by phone number, even if this phone is not registered to them. There were already such examples earlier in economic affairs. The government behaves like an occupying power, the territory of Belarus is used as a staging ground for an attack on Ukraine. The question arises because people are afraid that they will not be drawn into a war that they do not need. It is necessary to either refuse such summonses and risk prison, or leave the country,” the lawyer suggests.
#higher #fines #subpoenas #SMS