The law passed the Belarus House of Representatives on December 20, 2022, and the Council of the Republic the following day. “President” Alexander Lukashenko signed the legislation into law last week, and it goes into effect this week.
The legislation is a response to sanctions imposed upon Belarus for support of the invasion of Ukraine. Belarusian rulers have declared piracy an acceptable crutch to prop up its economy against crippling embargoes as the country heavily relies on foreign-made media for entertainment and software infrastructure.
