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Situation in Belarus remains calm ahead of referendum — chief prosecutor

Andrey Shved said that the situation in the country is fully under control

MINSK, January 25. /TASS/. The law enforcement bodies of Belarus are fully in control of the situation in the country ahead of the referendum to amend the country’s constitution, due on February 27, Belarusian Prosecutor General Andrey Shved told the Belarus-1 TV on Monday night.

"For the time being, the situation in the country is fully under control," he said. "In the run-up to large-scale events of republican importance, the referendum and so on, the law enforcement system is fully ready to uncover extremist and terrorist acts and crimes of any kind, in an operative and timely fashion."

In his words, more than 1,600 people were convicted for extremism and related crimes in Belarus last year. The country’s courts heard over 1,200 extremism cases last year, the official added.

"Law enforcement bodies are gaining more and more experience in countering extremism," he said. "The number of crimes in this category has declined, while the number of individuals exposed and brought to justice has grown significantly.".