Crime in Belarus
Crime in Belarus is regulated primarily by the Criminal Code of Belarus and related legislation, including the Criminal Procedure Code of Belarus, the Criminal-Executive Code and the Code of Administrative Offences. Law enforcement is mainly carried out by the police (міліцыя) under the Ministry of Internal Affairs, while the judiciary operates pursuant to the Code on the Judicial System and the Status of Judges. Official crime statistics published by the National Statistical Committee indicate that registered crime in 2024 comprised predominantly property crime, fraud-related and cybercrime offences, with comparatively lower levels of violent crime. The World Justice Project’s 2024 Rule of Law Index ranked Belarus 105th of 142 jurisdictions overall, making it the second lowest ranking in Europe, after Russia.
In 2023, Global Finance Magazine didn't rank Belarus in its "Safest Countries in the World" list, stating that the country was "suffering from political instability".
The U.S. Department of State’s travel advisory warns of risks including arbitrary enforcement of local laws and potential detention; such advisories reflect the issuing state’s assessment and may not capture overall crime rates.
Legal framework
The core criminal legislation is codified in the Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus, which defines offences and penalties and states the general tasks of criminal law. Criminal proceedings are governed by the Criminal Procedure Code, which sets rules for pre-trial investigation, prosecution and trial. The execution of sentences is regulated by the Criminal-Executive Code. Minor offences are addressed in the Code of Administrative Offences.Institutions
Policing is carried out by the Ministry of Internal Affairs through its criminal police and specialized departments. The system of courts and the status of judges are established by the Code on the Judicial System and the Status of Judges. The Department for the Execution of Punishments operates within the MIA and administers correctional institutions.Crime statistics
For international context, UNODC/World Bank series on intentional homicide indicate comparatively low homicide rates in recent years in Belarus relative to global averages.Official data compiled by Belstat for 2024 show: total registered crimes 73,270; thefts 14,654; frauds 12,774; offences against computer security 7,086; drug-related crimes 3,978; and 175 cases of homicide and attempted homicide. Road traffic accidents numbered 3,453 with 434 fatalities and 3,804 injured persons; 485 children were recorded as victims in traffic accidents.
Types of crime
Property and fraud
Property crime and fraud constitute a large share of recorded offending nationwide, according to Belstat’s 2024 infographic.Corruption
Legal framework and recent developments
Belarus’s anti-corruption framework is anchored in the Law On Combating Corruption, which—inter alia—introduces income and asset declarations for certain categories of public officials and sets restrictions to prevent conflicts of interest.In January 2024, Belarus adopted Law No. 348-Z, denouncing several Council of Europe anti-corruption instruments and terminating the agreement on privileges and immunities related to GRECO.
Perceptions and international rankings
According to the Corruption Perceptions Index 2024, Belarus scored 33 out of 100 and ranked 114th of 180 countries worldwide.Transparency International’s regional analysis for Eastern Europe and Central Asia notes that Belarus has declined by 14 points since 2020.
For broader governance context, the World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators show Belarus at about the 33rd percentile for Control of Corruption in 2023.
Cybercrime
Belstat reports a substantial volume of offences “against computer security” in 2024.Independent monitoring has noted increased use of criminal and administrative provisions related to “extremism” against online expression, alongside growth in cases tied to digital activity.
Drug-related crime
Illicit drug offences are criminalized under Article 328 of the Criminal Code. Penalties vary from restriction of liberty to long prison terms depending on aggravating circumstances. In 2024, 3,978 drug-related crimes were recorded.Human trafficking
Belarus declares combatting human trafficking as a foreign-policy and domestic priority and participates in relevant UN initiatives; the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed the World Day against Trafficking in Persons at Belarus’s initiative in 2013.In its 2024 Trafficking in Persons Report, the U.S. Department of State ranked Belarus as Tier 3, stating the government did not meet the minimum standards and was not making significant efforts to do so; the report referenced Criminal Code Article 181 and provided recent investigation and victim-identification figures.