The Belarusian Prosecutor General’s Office has initiated a process to create a working group that will draft a bill allowing criminal proceedings to be opened against individuals who participated in genocide in Belarus and escaped accountability because of various circumstances. The information was conveyed in a video released by Dmitry Brylev, who serves as the deputy head of the department responsible for media interaction and editorial activity within the Office, and is published on the State Attorney General’s Office YouTube channel.
In the video, Brylev explains that the group is tasked with developing a legal mechanism to bring Nazi criminals and their accomplices to justice despite factors tied to the policies of certain states that historically hindered such prosecutions. The aim is to ensure that those who took part in assaults against the Belarusian people during the war can face legal accountability even after the passage of time.
The representative stressed that once the draft law is adopted, it will open the door to criminal cases against individuals who carried out repressive actions against Belarusians during the Great Patriotic War, establishing a framework for posthumous or delayed accountability where appropriate.
Earlier this year Belarusian lawmakers approved a law introducing the death penalty for officials convicted of treason, marking another instance of the country strengthening penalties for acts perceived as threats to the state. This legislative moment sits alongside ongoing efforts to address historical crimes and ensure that past actions do not avoid scrutiny or consequence. The proposed bill reflects a broader intent to close gaps in accountability and to reaffirm that justice can be pursued, even when the subjects are no longer alive or in active public life. [citation from official video source attribution]