President signs law on national security and law on state protection

The President signed a law on national security and a law on state protection. The latter expands the number of persons subject to state protection. For example, among such are servicemen of the Armed Forces, other troops and military formations in cases of fulfilling their duties to protect public order, employees of the Presidential Security Service and the Operative Analytical Center under the President of Belarus, as well as relatives of the above-mentioned persons. Thus, protection measures can be applied to any person who is in danger in connection with his or her official duties, including civil servants, judges, media workers, members of election commissions, other persons, as well as their relatives.
The document on ensuring national security makes changes to the laws regulating the functioning of the internal affairs bodies and a number of other law enforcement agencies and paramilitary organizations. The conditions and limits of the use of physical force, special equipment, weapons, military and special equipment are being specified. It is stipulated that law enforcement officers are not liable for harm caused as a result of their use, if such use was carried out in accordance with the requirements of legislative acts regulating the work of these bodies. In addition, the internal affairs bodies are empowered to use military and special equipment in the suppression of mass riots.