OREANDA-NEWS. President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko signed the law on amending the Criminal Code, providing for the introduction of criminal liability for attempts to rehabilitate Nazism. This was reported on Tuesday by the press service of the Belarusian leader.

The corresponding amendment to the Criminal Code of Belarus was adopted in 2019 at the spring session by both chambers of the country's parliament. The law establishes criminal liability for those who publicly justify Nazism, approve of the crimes of the Nazi regime, as well as glorify and justify Nazi criminals and their accomplices. They face penalties of up to five years in prison.

The law also introduces in the Criminal Code an article providing, instead of a fine, a penalty of up to seven years in prison for inclining an athlete to use doping, as well as for using prohibited substances or methods against an athlete without his knowledge. As noted in the presidential press service, in order to improve criminal legislation, ensure strict compliance with the degree of severity of individual acts and applicable measures of responsibility for them, the law also provides for a reduction by two years of the minimum sentence for drug trafficking under Article 328 of the Criminal Code of Belarus - three years instead of five and six instead of eight.

"Adjustment of the Criminal Code will allow the courts in each case to be more selective in sentencing for crimes related to drug trafficking, taking into account all the circumstances of their commission", the statement said. The document is aimed at adopting additional legislative measures "to protect public order and morality from the ideology of Nazism". It's emphasized that only persons who publicly justify Nazism and approve of the crimes of the Nazi regime will be held criminally liable.