Belarus escalates draft measures: SMS notices and harsher penalties

A few days ago, Lukashenko declared that “Belarus is gearing up for war. “I’m speaking honestly about this: ‘If you desire peace, prepare for war.’ It’s not an original thought of mine, but it’s very fitting,” he said.

He further mentioned that Minsk is training soldiers and acquiring weapons and military equipment to bolster the nation’s defence capabilities.

Since April 7, Belarus has implemented a new law concerning military draft and mobilization in times of war. Now, individuals eligible for military service can receive their summons via SMS.

The Ministry of Defence has clarified that an SMS summons will be regarded as equal to a paper document during mobilisation and wartime. Ignoring such a summons could lead to administrative or criminal penalties based on laws about evading service. During peacetime, these notifications will serve as an additional method of communication for conscripts.

Interestingly, sending an SMS is enough for the law to consider the message as having been delivered to its recipient. Thus, excuses like "I was out of coverage", "My cell phone was switched off, or My phone had run out of battery" are not valid.

Cellular operators are now mandated to supply the phone numbers of individuals eligible for the draft within a week of receiving the military summons order and to send out SMSs with the military service summons.

Under the new rules, individuals of any age can now be enlisted for contractual military service, including those under investigation, with a criminal record, or serving a prison sentence. If necessary, Lukashenko has the authority to make such decisions "to safeguard the interests of defence and national security".

The punishment for evading military service has been augmented—one could now face up to three years in prison for such an offence. Penalties for not responding to draft board summons have also been increased.

Source: moscowtimes.ru