{"id":187097,"date":"2026-05-11T22:09:11","date_gmt":"2026-05-11T19:09:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/187097\/"},"modified":"2026-05-11T22:09:13","modified_gmt":"2026-05-11T19:09:13","slug":"opposition-lawyer-criticizes-belarus-posthumous-genocide-trials","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/187097\/","title":{"rendered":"Opposition lawyer criticizes Belarus\u2019 posthumous genocide trials"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

May 11, Pozirk.<\/em><\/strong> Conducting criminal trials against deceased individuals is \u201cnonsense\u201d from the standpoint of criminal law, Belarusian lawyer Natalla Mackievi\u010d, who was disbarred in 2021, said during an online discussion on Monday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mackievi\u010d argued that posthumous prosecutions undermine the presumption of innocence, under which a person is considered innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. That standard cannot be meaningfully applied when the accused is deceased, she said. In such cases, it is impossible to ensure a fair trial, allow the defendant to exercise the right to defense, or present arguments in their own favor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to her, court proceedings involving deceased persons should be permissible only when they serve to clear the person\u2019s name, since any reasonable doubt must lead to an acquittal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She also questioned the use of the term \u201cgenocide\u201d in relation to World War II-era crimes in Belarus. By definition, genocide refers to acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, national, ethnic, racial or religious groups, rather than people defined solely by residence in a particular territory, she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In recent years, Belarusian courts have posthumously convicted seven alleged Nazi war criminals of genocide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Belarusian authorities began actively promoting the concept of the \u201cgenocide of the Belarusian people\u201d around five years ago, following the violent crackdown on peaceful post-election protests in 2020. Prosecutor General Andrei Shved personally contributed materials to a school textbook on genocide for fifth-grade students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alaksandar \u0141uka\u0161enka signed legislation allowing the criminal prosecution of deceased individuals and criminalizing the denial of genocide. Denial of genocide carries a penalty of up to five years in prison, while repeat offences are punishable by up to 10 years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Historians and analysts say the authorities also use the genocide narrative to discredit opponents by associating their symbols with Nazi collaborators.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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