Of course, that’s rather predictable given that Lukashenko owns the parliament. Due to the spread of “velvet revolutions” in his near vicinity, and the upfront declarations of his neighbors, the EU, and the United States to promote democracy in Belarus, Lukashenko has passed a state security law which will allow the secret police practically absolute access to people and their property without any approval.

New law “On Organs of State Security” has taken effect. This is the information provided by Radio Liberty. The human rights activists and the opposition have already referred to this law as “another stepping stone” to a totalitarian Stalinist-type system. However, the Chamber of Representatives think that the new version of the law meets the contemporary threats and Belarus acts in the mainstream of the worldés tendency. What is this law going to change in the life of Belarusians?

The new version of the law “On Organs of State Security” gives broader powers to the operative services. Now they can enter a personés place or any (even foreign) organizationés office without the procuratorés office sanction. The procuratorés permission is not necessary at all, informing the procurator within 24 hours of the entry necessitated by operative reasons will do. “If we find nothing, weéll offer our apologies”, answered the former KGB chair Leanid Ieryn to the question asked by the journalists about how the agents will be punished in the event of a mistake.

Another important innovation of the law is the right of the special service to implant its secret agents into any organization. A person disclosing the identity of a secret agent will be criminally persecuted under the law. The punishment is up to 5 years in prison. The one who makes public a state secret will be imprisoned for the same term???????

Lukashenko is, effectively, digging his trenches early and preparing for all out isolation from the west. Russia’s backing of “democratic change from within” can only be laughed at from this point, as regressive measures are being taken to prevent this from happening. The power of a unified free world will have a lot to do with where Belarus goes by September 2006, and insofar it looks like everyone worth their civil liberties is on board.