The Chamber of Representatives adopted in the second reading the law draft on introducing alterations to current Belarusian legislation on fighting the financing of terrorism. According to the deputies’ idea, the document is specially worked out in order to bring it to conformity with the international convention on fighting the financing of terrorism.  

The deputies adopted alterations to the Criminal Code, lying down that “granting or collecting money, securities or other property in order to utilize them for financing terrorist activity is punished by the term of imprisonment from 8 to 12 years with the confiscation of property. The same offence committed repeatedly or within an organized group or by an official, performing his professional obligations, entails the terms of imprisonment from 8 to 15 years with the confiscation of property”. The law draft simultaneously provides for exemption from criminal responsibility if a person informs about the committed crime in proper time and promotes preventing the terrorist act and uncovering the crime. The law more accurately defines the terms “financing terrorism” and “terrorist organisation”.

The decision on the issue whether an organisation is terrorist or not is to be passed by the Supreme Court on the basis of a Belarusian Prosecution Office enquiry. In case of allowing the enquiry the activity of the organisation is banned on the territory of the Republic of Belarus and the organisation itself is liquidated.