Kazulin is Released For 3 Days!

(To Take Part in The Funeral of His Wife Irina)

Aleksandr Kazulin has been released from the prison at night on Feb. 26, 2008 for three days to take part in the funeral of his wife, who had died on the 23rd of February.

The 48-year-old woman suffered from an oncological disease. Due to the fact that the authorities at first didn't release the political prisoner for the funeral, Aleksandr Kazulin went on hunger strike. The daughters of the political prisoner joined the hunger strike on February 25. An action in memory of Irina 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 Aleksandr 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.

The High Representative of the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) of the EU Javier Solana urged the Belarusian authorities to release Aleksandr Kazulin immediately. Javier Solana noted that he met the news about the untimely death of Irina Kazulina with great sorrow, and expressed his condolences to her husband and daughters. As said by Javier Solana, release of A. Kazulin would mean release of all political prisoners, five of which have been already released. The United States and European Union demanded in the days leading up to and after Kozulin's wife's death that he be set free.

The mourning ceremony for Irina Kazulina is to take place tonight in Minsk.

Aleksandr Kazulin is on Hunger Strike For 47 Days Already!

(It is Time For the UN Security Council To Get Involved!)

Today on December 5th, 2006 Irina Kazulina has visited the colony No.3 in Vitsebsk, where her husband, a Former Candidiate For Presidency Aleksandr Kazulin, is continuing a hunger strike for the 47th day. He has lost 40 kg over the 8 months of detention. The meeting of Irina with her husband lasted for only 30 minutes. In this short period of time she was trying to convince Aleksandr to stop the protest which is becoming a threat to his health and life. However, as Irina Kazulina says to the Charter'97, the political prisoner is not going to stop the hunger strike until his major demand, to discuss the situation with Human Rights in Belarus in the UN Security Council.

Kazulin's heroic hunger strike is commented by the leader of the Civil Initiative "We Remember" Irina Krasouskaya: "I admire the courage of Aleksandr Kazulin. I respect him very much for what he is doing. It is a very serious step. Such self-sacrifice can awaken the public opinion, the people who are waiting for somebody else to change the situation in the country. It is obvious that Aleksandr Kazulin is a serious person and he will go all the way. But I really worry about his health. A lot of struggle is before us, and we should be healthy and strong to fight. Kazulin should keep his strength for this struggle.

Undoubtedly, Aleksandr Kazulin's demand must be heard. We are doing everything so that as many people as possible, both in Belarus and abroad, learn about his courageous deed," Iryna Krasouskaya said in an interview to the Charter'97 Press-Center.