Annually Prosecutor General’s office of Belarus makes about 900 requests from other countries for legal assistance in criminal cases

The main instrument for international cooperation for Prosecutor General’s office of Belarus is direct participation in the work of CIS attorney-generals coordination council, said Valeri Kovalchuk, the head of the department for the control over home affairs organization proceedings of Prosecutor General’s office of the Republic of Belarus, at the round-table meeting in Minsk.

The main instrument for international cooperation for Prosecutor General’s office of Belarus is direct participation in the work of CIS attorney-generals coordination council, said Valeri Kovalchuk, the head of the department for the control over home affairs organization proceedings of Prosecutor General’s office of the Republic of Belarus, at the round-table meeting in Minsk.

“Apart from the work in Coordination council the representatives of Prosecutor General’s office take part in the development of different bills and agreements on the issues of international law enforcement, annually make about 900 requests for legal assistance in different criminal cases and organize the execution of not less than 200 similar international petitions, - explained V.Kovalchuk.

He pointed out that only in 2007 and in the current year the Prosecutor General’s office and Interpol have sent the materials about international search in relation to more than 210 accused. For the hands-on experience materials in relation to such persons are without fail sent by the Ministry of Interior to the Prosecutor General’s office as authorized for the solution of this problem central competent body”, - added V.Kovalchuk.

During 2007-2008 Prosecutor General’s office has sent about 450 requests for the extradition of the accused for perpetration to the territory of Belarus for prosecution, out of which 354 have been complied at the moment, the rest are in process of settlement. Meanwhile he pointed out that some way different forms of the very extradition procedure hamper its normal work. Thus in Belarus if the decision is taken by Prosecutor General’s office then the question is considered solved and the inquired person is immediately extradited. In Russia the person in relation to whom the decision about extradition is taken by Prosecutor General’s office of RF has a right to appeal it in court. That is why the process can be delayed for half of year or even a year.

Apart from that, as V.Kovalchuk pointed out, Prosecutor General’s office of Belarus organizes criminal prosecution of Belarusian citizens for the crimes committed on the territories of other countries and also sends criminal cases of foreign citizens for their prosecution for the crimes committed on the territory of the country. “Only in 2007 and the first half-year of 2008 more than 110 criminal cases sent to other countries and received form them have been examined in Prosecutor General’s office”, - said V.Kovalchuk.