Belarus "Animal Farm" Criminal Law Changes 2006

Last week Alexander Lukashenko has signed the Decree which radically changes all criminally-remedial system in the Republic of Belarus. Henceforth all government officials who made crimes against a state ownership, including deputies of National Assembly, Prime-Minister and Vice-Premiers, Minsk and regional executive committee Chairmen, Judges and Prosecutors of all levels, the state employees, holding a post of a rank of Minister and its Assistants of power structures (the Ministry of Internal Affairs, KGB, Ministry of Defense, the State Customs Committee and so on), Administration of the President and all its assistants (apparently, the list of untouchable officials is very wide enough and goes on and on) has a chance not to be punished by the belorussian judicial system but by the President Himself if they return stolen money and admit their wrongdoings.

Forget about the Law in Belarus. Who needs the Law? Law is not for everybody there.

Criminal prosecution of government officials is possible only with the sanction of the Head of the State. Have you read George Orwell’s "Animal Farm"? lately?

Let’s say if you are a President of Belarus who steal from Belorussians at least 11,4 billion dollars a year – you are not guilty! Or, you are Galina Zhuravkova, a former Assistant of the President who stole only couple of millions of dollars. Do not need to worry, Galina, you are not guity. Or, let’s say you are a former Chief-Prosecutor Victor Sheiman who earned only $397 million a year for prosecuting mostly political prisoners. No worries, Victor, here is your bag of money, take it with you to our main leftist ally Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez because you are assigned a new position as an Ambassador there. Or, you are Belarusian Orthodox Church Metropolitan Filaret with yearly income of only $47,3 million. Thank you for your spiritual support Mr. Filaret and thank you for decorating me, president Lukashenko, an Orthodox Atheist, with an award of Belarusian Orthodox Church, Cyril of Turau on September 26, 2006. Yes, don’t worry, you are not guilty.

Hold on. And who is this guy? Mr. President, Your Majesty, this is Mr.Aleksand Kozulin, Professor, the former Candidate for Presidency, former Rector of the Belarusian State University. What did he do? He wanted to win your spot, Mr. President back in March 2006 during your honest elections campaign and accidentally broke some glass on one of your framed portraits.

Guilty – 5.5 years in prison!