Not patriots

Every person has their Motherland – a place where they were born and raised, the country of which they are a citizen. And although one does not choose their Motherland, just like parents, if a citizen is somehow dissatisfied with it, they can change their citizenship; the legislation provides a specific procedure for this.

However, there are probably individuals in every country who, while living in one country and enjoying its benefits and protection, are "working" for another country, sometimes a hostile one.

Throughout the ages, such people have been called traitors and severely punished.

In our country – the Republic of Belarus – the criminal legislation provides a considerable list of acts defined as crimes against the state – 18 elements of crimes.

Of course, for many of them, during the existence of the Republic of Belarus, there have been no instances of anyone being brought to criminal liability, for example, for sabotage, conspiracy to seize power, and others. But, unfortunately, some crimes provided for by Chapter 32 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus "Crimes Against the State" have still occurred, including in the territory of the Vitebsk region.

In the current year, a former serviceman has already been sentenced to a long term of imprisonment for treason against the state, and a criminal case has been sent to court against our citizen who participated in hostilities abroad without the authorization of the Republic of Belarus.

Such crimes, of course, are not widespread; our citizens respect and value their Motherland, even if they are sometimes dissatisfied with something – their problems can and should be solved without betraying their country. But we want "Crimes Against the State" to remain merely a stern warning in the Criminal Code, rather than real facts in our lives. Because we, living in the Republic of Belarus, are patriots of Belarus, our country, not a foreign one!

Senior Assistant Prosecutor of the Region
for Supervision of Legislation Enforcement
on State Security Vladimir Belous