Counter terrorism concept of the Republic of Belarus approved

The resolution of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus as of 25 July 2013 № 658 approves the Counter terrorism concept of the Republic of Belarus.

The Concept encloses such issues as the main tendencies of the modern terrorism, main sources of the terrorist threats in the Republic of Belarus, system of the Republic of Belarus on combating the terrorism, international cooperation of the Republic of Belarus on matters of counter terrorism.

According to the resolution, the main internal sources of terrorist threat include weakening of patriotism and traditional moral values among young people owing to insufficient development of the civil society, destructive information influence on the process of socialization of the youth. Internal threat sources also comprise penetration or distribution of the ideology of extremism, separatism, ethnic, gender and religious intolerance, illegal activity of organizations, groups, individuals who follow such ideology or popularize it. Destructive cults and pseudoreligious groups also make part of such threats.

Among internal sources are also the use of methods aimed at the destabilization of the situation in the Republic of Belarus, artificial fomenting of tension in the society leading to disorders followed by violence from groupings and organizations, which endanger life and health of people, territorial integrity and the existence of the state.

External terrorist threats comprise a considerable amount of terrorist and extremist organizations abroad, the geographic position of Belarus, which let organized groups and criminal organizations view the territory of the country as a transit corridor for illegal turnover of weapons of mass destruction and its components, technology and dual-purpose equipment, weapons, ammunition, etc. Another external factor is an increase in the number of migrants that can include those involved in international terrorist activities.

The main counter terrorism principles are law and order, correspondence of counter terrorism measures with the commitments of the Republic of Belarus as well as recognition, observance and protection of rights, freedoms and legal interests of the citizens. The Concept makes an emphasis on inevitability of punishment for terrorist activities, and contains other provisions, including those describing the counter terrorism system of the Republic of Belarus.

The State security committee is responsible to control the implementation of the provisions of the Concept.