A bill that would establish penalties for violating the National and Local Assemblies Law has been submitted to the House of Representatives (Belarus’ lower parliamentary chamber) for a debate.
The bill elaborates rules governing the organization and conduct of local rallies, with the number of articles in the chapter that outlines them increased to 11 from four in the current version of the 2000 law.
In particular, it features new articles on the "termination of a local rally", and "people responsible for the organization and conduct of a local rally".
The legislation would also establish penalties for violating the national and local assemblies regulations.
The bill was drafted after a series of the "Narodny Skhod" (People`s Assembly) rallies were held across the country in the fall last year at the initiative of opposition politicians Viktar Ivashkevich and Henadz Fyadynich, who had organized them under the National and Local Assemblies Law.
