Belarusian leader toughens punishment for draft dodgers and allows prisoners to serve

Self-proclaimed President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko signed a law on 3 April that provides for call-up by SMS, stricter penalties for draft dodgers, and allows convicts and prisoners in penal colonies to serve.

Source: Belarusian news agency Zerkalo, European Pravda

Details: The document appeared in an official publication on the National Legal Internet Portal on 6 April. It includes many important changes regarding military service and mobilisation.

According to the amendments, young people will now be registered for military service from the age of 17 instead of 16.

Citizens can be called up to military enlistment offices, including during mobilisation, by SMS in addition to the standard paper call-up papers, which can now be sent not only to draftees’ homes, but anywhere.

The law increases liability for evasion of military service and for failure to appear at a military enlistment office. The punishment for evading military service has been changed to three years in prison instead of two, and fines will be increased several times over.

Military enlistment officers will have the right to prohibit citizens who "violate their military registration obligations and evade conscription measures" from leaving Belarus. This will now also apply to those who evade, for example, military and special training.

In addition, people of all ages, people under investigation, people with outstanding convictions, and prisoners from colonies can be recruited for military service under contract – a decision that Lukashenko will be able to make if it is necessary to "ensure the interests of defence and national security".

The list of other changes is quite extensive: the age of reserve service for female conscripts has been raised, the list of citizens who are granted deferments during mobilisation has been changed, reinforcement units will be created at military enlistment offices, etc.

Almost all provisions of the law come into force on 7 April.

Background: In early April, Lukashenko stated that he was preparing Belarus for war, although he claimed he did not want to fight.

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