Łukašenka introduces bill to ease punishment for drug-related crimes

August 8, Pozirk. Alaksandar Łukašenka has introduced a bill to the House of Representatives to ease punishment for drug-related crimes under Article 328 of the Criminal Code, his press office reported.
The bill proposes a more lenient punishment – a jail term of up to three months – for drug possession, and restricted freedom sentences for one count of illicit drug sale.
Possession is punishable by a restricted freedom sentence of up to five years or a prison sentence of two to five years under Part 1 of Article 328 currently in force.
A single count of sale is punishable by five to eight years in prison under Part 2 of the same article.
The legislation would also reduce from 10 years to eight years the minimum sentence for drug sale as part of an organized group.
The move comes as a big surprise because officials have recently rejected proposals from Mothers 328, a group that has campaigned for many years for leniency for people convicted of drug-related offenses.
Also read: Belarus convicts more than 1,000 of drug crimes in six months
- Politics, SecurityLatvian lawmakers say no need for immediate border closureThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics, SecurityDrone "neutralized" in Warsaw, Belarusians detainedThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- EconomyStadler trains disappear from passenger links in Minsk regionThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsKyiv denounces Łukašenka’s meeting with Kherson occupation administration headThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsStatkievič’s wife reports his disappearance to policeThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- SecurityVilnius to monitor post-Zapad troop movementsThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics, SecurityZapad-2025 involves 6,000 Belarusian and 1,000 Russian troops – ministerThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics, Security
- Economy
- PoliticsŁukašenka meets with Russian official in charge of occupied Kherson regionThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- EconomyIAEA to assess safety of Belarusian nuclear plant in 2026The material is available only to POZIRK+
- EconomyCentral bank’s net foreign-currency assets up 8.7 percent since JanuaryThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsCichanoŭskaja calls for Statkievič’s release after reports of new detentionThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics, SecurityVilnius says Zapad-2025 backed by information campaignThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- EconomyInflation in Belarus to remain high despite recent slowdown – EDBThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics, Security
- Politics
- Politics
- PoliticsCichanoŭskaja: Statkievič's integrity sets example for everyoneThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics, SocietyNobel Prize winner describes deportation of pardoned prisoners as tortureThe material is available only to POZIRK+