They Began Drafting Belarusians Via SMS

The "law" signed by Lukashenka was published.

Today, Law No.363-3 of April 3 "On Amendments to Laws on Ensuring National Security" was officially published on the National Legal Internet Portal.

The law suggests that SMS messages can be legal notifications for draft calls to military commissariats. At the same time, SMS notifications will be mandatory in case of mobilisation, and liability will be provided for non-appearance.

"When conscripting for military service on mobilization, citizens are also obliged to appear at conscription events, being notified via SMS messages," the law reads.

The law enforce new fines under the following articles of the Code of Administrative Offenses:

Article 26.1 Non-appearance at conscription events — from 10 to 30 base values (now 5 base values);

Article 26.2 Failure to notify citizens about a call to the military commissariat (a separate subdivision of the military commissariat), the state security body: for the first offense — up to 20 BV (now up to 3 BV), for the second one — from 20 to 30 BV (now from 4 to 6);

Article 26.3 Violation of duties on military registration: for citizens — up to 25 BV (now up to 3), for officials — up to 30 BV (now from 4 to 5 BV).

The law regulates the provision of exemption from work and study to citizens on the grounds of military registration, as well as conscription, registration of documents of military registration, personal data clarification. At the same time, they retain scholarships and salaries. In addition, they will be reimbursed for travel expenses.

Military enlistment offices have the right to restrict the travel outside the country of citizens who violate the obligations of military registration and evade conscription.

The initial registration of male citizens will now be carried out in the year of reaching the age of 17, and not 16, as before.

Lukashenka is empowered to decide on the admission to military service under a contract of citizens with whom a contract for military service cannot be concluded due to established restrictions.

The law also provides for the participation of citizens voluntarily in the performance of work of a defensive nature in peacetime. The government will determine the amount of payments to such citizens and the list of works in which they can be involved. Citizens who have reached the age of 16 will be able to participate in these works. For the period of attracting citizens to work, they retain their place of work, position and average earnings at the place of work. If citizens do not work, they will be entitled to payments. Local executive and administrative bodies will organize the participation of citizens in defence-related activities.

The emergence of an authorized state body for the mobilization preparation of the economy is also provided. The state body will have to develop a mobilization plan for the country's economy, organize the work of state bodies on economic planning, and coordinate their activities in the field of mobilization training.

Also, the authorized body will have the following powers:

together with state bodies, develop draft plans for the accumulation of material assets in the state material reserve and a plan for the accumulation of material assets in the mobilization material reserve;

coordinate the mobilization plans of the economy of state bodies, administrative-territorial units;

develop methodological documents on the organization of mobilization preparation of the economy and mobilization of the economy;

prepare drafts of international treaties of Belarus, laws, legal acts of Lukashenka, resolutions of the Council of Ministers in the field of mobilization preparation of the economy;

submit, following the established procedure, a report to the government on the state of mobilization preparation of the economy and mobilization readiness of state bodies, spheres and sectors of the economy, administrative-territorial units;

organize training of officials of state bodies and organizations on mobilization training and mobilization of the economy;

carry out international cooperation with foreign states on the issues of mobilization preparation of the economy;

exercise control over the mobilization preparation and mobilization readiness of state bodies and organizations, spheres and sectors of the economy, administrative-territorial units.

The law stipulates the personal responsibility of the heads of local authorities for implementing mobilization training and mobilization activities.

The media will have to disseminate information prepared by the Ministry of Defence and local defence councils about the mobilization and the need for the appearance of conscripts in military commissariats (separate units), state security bodies.

The concept of amplification apparatus appears in the law. These are citizens engaged to assist military commissariats (separate units), state security agencies in alerting, calling up and sending (supplying) mobilization resources to the Armed Forces, other troops and military formations.