New bill would allow authorities to charge deceased persons with genocide

June 12, BPN. The Belarusian government has tabled a bill that would allow officials to prosecute deceased persons under 10 articles of the Criminal Code, according to the National Legal Portal.

The move comes three months after Prosecutor General Andrej Švied said the authorities wanted to try deceased Nazis “to restore the full picture of their crimes,” and were even more concerned about the still-living SS fugitives in Latin America and Canada.

Under current law, criminal proceedings can only be initiated to seek the exoneration of deceased persons.

If passed, the new bill would allow prosecutors to charge dead people with “aggressive war,” international terrorism, and genocide. They could also be accused of undermining security of mankind, manufacturing prohibited weapons, using weapons of mass destruction, and committing ecocide. The other possible charges are breaking the law of war or humanitarian law, or giving criminal orders during an armed conflict.

Defendants in these cases would be assigned lawyers or represented by their relatives.