Deputy interior minister: extremist activity shifts from streets to Internet

February 8, Pozirk. State efforts have significantly reduced extremist activities, Deputy Interior Minister Hienadź Kazakievič said.

“Destructive activity has moved from the streets to the Internet,” he told a ministry meeting today. “The situation remains tense” but officials can predict and control it, he added.

Belarusian security services maintain a number of “extremist lists.” The list of extremist groups contains 178 organizations (202 entries), the list of persons “involved in extremist activities” – 3,753 people, the list of “extremist content” – about 1,100 pages, each with dozens of book titles, individual articles, websites and social media accounts.

After 2020, the authorities have added mostly critics to these lists.

Belarus and other countries in Eastern Europe and Central Asia use counterterrorism and counterextremism to control society and suppress legitimate public activity, not only to reduce real threats, said Article 19, a rights watchdog.

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Security

Soldiers given more powers to use weapons, no warning shot

February 5, Pozirk. Alaksandar Łukašenka has changed the army's Internal Service Regulations to allow soldiers to shoot without warning at offenders. Under the amended Paragraph 11 troops are allowed to use physical force, combat equipment and weapons depending on the …

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