ALYAKSANDR KAZULIN AT LARGE

• 26.02.2008, 2:05

Alyaksandr Kazulin, political prisoner and former candidate for presidency in Belarus, has been released from the colony for 3 days today at 1.00am to take part in the funeral of his wife.

Ihar Rynkevich, former lawyer and associate of the political prisoner, said to the Cahrter’97 press center chief of the colony “Vitba-3” Vital Ahnistykau guarded Kazulin to his house on Starazhouskaya Street today’s night.

Wife of the political prisoner Iryna Kazulina died on 23 February. The 48-year-old woman suffered from oncological disease. Due to the fact that the authorities at first didn’t release the political prisoner for the funeral, Alyaksandr Kazulin went on hunger strike. The daughters of the political prisoner joined the hunger strike on 25 February. An action in memory of Iryna Kazulina took place yesterday in the Minsk center, with demand to release political prisoner Alyaksandr Kazulin.

The European Union and the US demand to release Alyaksandr Kazulin. The official Minsk won’t improve relations with Europe without release of all political prisoners. The European Commission, OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, the PACE, the European Parliament, the embassies of the US, France and Slovakia spoke in favour of Kazulin’s release yesterday.