Extremism commission to evaluate information products

The republican expert commission on the evaluation of information products on signs (absence of signs) of extremism will be created in Belarus. It follows from decision No. 810 of August 21, 2014, issued by the Council of Ministers, BelTA learnt from the press service of the Belarusian government.

The decision provides for setting up a system of expert commissions in every Belarusian region. The republican expert commission under the aegis of the Ministry of Information will also act as the expert commission in Minsk.

The commission will include “competent experts in philosophy, psychology, philology, sociology, as well as representatives of government bodies responsible for countering extremism that will allow carrying out a comprehensive and adequate analysis to detect extremism”.

The republican commission will analyse information in Minsk. It will be empowered to approve the composition of regional commissions and prepare recommendations for them. It will consider complaints and expert conclusions for regional commissions, “study and share the domestic and foreign experience to prevent the promotion of extremist activities in information products”.

The commission will have the right to make requests for and obtain documents, materials and information necessary for expert examinations. It will have the right to invite to its meetings and hear representatives of government bodies, organisations, public associations and businessmen. The commission can involve different specialists and public figures, who are not members of the commission.

Expert examinations will be carried out on the requests from state bodies, organisations, public associations and businessmen and on decisions of state bodies or officials that have the right to do it.

Expert conclusions of the expert commission can be challenged in court; conclusions of regional commissions can be challenged in the republic commission or in court.

The Ministry of Information explains that the decision by the Council of Ministers was taken to develop the law “On Countering Extremism”. “The document was adopted to prevent the distribution of extremist information in Belarus, to protect public interests from destructive elements in the information space,” the Ministry says.