Alexander Kazulin released from prison
18 August 2008
His daughter, Volha Kazulina, said that Kazulin was granted compassionate leave to attend the funeral of his father-in-law. Kazulina told Reuters the same day that she believes her father had been freed for good, although she added that her father would make no statements before August 18, after the funeral is over.
The opposition leader walked out of the Vitba 3 jail on Saturday (16 August) after serving over two years of a five-and-a-half year sentence, with Belarus officials saying he has been granted a presidential pardon. "We don't know what has happened and under what conditions he has been released, but he is definitely coming home and I hope he is coming home for a long time," his daughter told the Ria Novosti news agency.
Mr Kazulin was beaten up and arrested during street protests after rigged presidential elections in March 2006, which led the EU to impose a travel ban and asset freeze on 35 high-ranking politicians. Mr. Kazulin was leading the Belarusian Social Democratic Party (Hramada). On 3 August, the party held its Extraordinary Congress in Minsk. During the congress, Mr Kazulin was stripped of the party’s chairmanship. Anatol Liakovich, Kazulin’s former deputy, has been elected the new leader. According to supporters of Kazulin, the congress was “a performance staged [in] agreement with the authorities.” "This is a terrible political mistake and it goes against common sense," senior party official Ihar Rynkevich told the party conference. "Only the authorities will benefit from depriving the party of Kazulin."
"This release comprises one of the conditions imposed by the European Union for a gradual resumption of dialogue with Belarus," the French EU presidency said in a statement. The move comes ahead of parliamentary elections on 28 September, with president Alexander Lukashenko promising that opposition figures will be let into the 110-seat house for the first time.
Sources: EUobserver and RFE/RL
