Dzyanis Sadoyuski: Regime “tightens screws”

A new definition of the term “terrorism” is regarded as a response to the “elections” boycott, an activist thinks.

Dzyanis Sadouski, an executive secretary of Belarusian Christian Democracy party (BCD), comments for charter97.org on amendments to the laws on “counter-terrorism” and “counter-extremism”. Changes were proposed to the term “terrorism”.

“I thinks it is a direct response of the authorities to the 'elections' boycott in Belarus. People, who voted against the regime with their feet, demonstrated a lack of confidence in the regime. The authorities understood the threat to them,” the activist thinks.

“This response continues to tighten screws. The authorities want to deprive civil society of all opportunities to act. They want to ban people to struggle for a better life. It is an ordinary attempt to intimidate people and stop all democratic processes in society,” Dzyanis Sadouski is confident.

The BCD secretary thinks the law  on counter-terrorism will be used for different purposes.

“There is a practice to set a law to scare people. It is not used, but it hangs over their heads like the sword of Damocles. For example, the law on freedom of conscience in fact forbids praying in a group of more than two persons. Anyone praying in a church, where more than two people pray, can be brought to criminal responsibility. But this law is not used. If the Church begins to participate in civil society, its representatives will be brought to criminal responsibility under this article,” the activist says.

“It is possible that the new law on counter-extremism will hang over civil society like the sword of Damocles to be used only in rare cases. If it will be used widely, we will turn into North Korea,” Dzyanis Sadouski notes.