MINSK. Jan 28 (Interfax) - Changes to the Belarusian legislation concerning the internal political situation in the country will be drafted and submitted in the near future, Belarusian Security Council Deputy State Secretary Alexander Rakhmanov said after a meeting with the president on Thursday.
"The necessary changes will be made to our national legislation in the first quarter of 2021," Rakhmanov was quoted as saying by the state-run news agency BelTA.
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said earlier on Thursday at a conference on the improvement of legislation that the liberalization of laws in Belarus might have "gone too far."
"Laws should not just give a rapid response to any violations but also avert possible threats. This is most important," he said.
Lukashenko tasked the relevant authorities with establishing "what exactly our legislation is lacking to ensure the reliable detection and prevention of any actions aimed against the state."
In particular, the changes will amend the Criminal and Labor Codes, Rakhmanov said. Revision of the law on extremism, adoption of a law on the prevention of glorification of Nazism, reinforcement of personal data protection, and also protection of judges, law enforcement officials, journalists, and other social groups from aggression are also expected.
Among the threats that lead to the plans to change the legislation, Rakhmanov mentioned mass events "that led to resisting police," situations of blocking of transport infrastructure facilities, calls for strikes in various organizations, enterprises, establishments, broad dissemination of unregistered symbols, collection and dissemination of personal data, "and not only those of state servants, but also other people who have an active civil position."
"Of course, all these things are unacceptable. In accordance with the national security conception, flaws in the current legislation and its inability to react to risks, challenges and threats in a timely and appropriate manner are unacceptable," Rakhmanov said.
In order to prevent such things, it is necessary to make relevant changes to the administrative, criminal, criminal procedural and electoral legislation, he said.
Belarus has seen continuous protests against the official results of the August 9 presidential election. The authorities declared incumbent head of state Lukashenko the winner. Lukashenko has been in office since 1994. The opposition has not recognized the results of the presidential election, saying they were rigged. The protesters are demanding Lukashenko's resignation, the release of political prisoners, and a new election.
The Belarusian law enforcement has been fiercely suppressing the protests, which have recently moved to residential areas in different parts of Minsk.