The House of Representatives plans to ratify an agreement between the Republic of Belarus and the Turkish Republic. It will deal with legal assistance regarding civil, economic and criminal issues, and is being read at its final (for the current convocation) session, on October 2nd.
“The agreement aims to enable citizens from either country to receive the same legal services as those from the second state,” notes Vitaly Busko, the Chairman of the Standing Committee for International Affairs and Links with the CIS, at the National Assembly.
The document clearly outlines the powers of departments which work within the framework of the agreement: the Justice Ministry of Turkey and Belarus’ Investigative Committee, General Prosecutor’s Office, Justice Ministry, Supreme Court and Supreme Economic Court.
According to the document, each side is obliged to act for the other in civil and economic issues, as well as criminal affairs, tackling compensation for damage. This also covers arbitrary decisions over civil and economic matters.
As far as other categories of criminal cases are concerned, mutual legal services are envisaged: delivery of documents, carrying out of expert examinations and interrogation of witnesses and experts. The agreement also gives scope for criminals to be repatriated to serve their sentences in their homeland. The authorities of one country can also arrest suspects, returning them to their home country for investigation and sentencing.
