Action of Solidarity with Aleksandr Kazulin on December 10, 2006 in Minsk!

(Appeals to the Government of Belarus By EU and PES)

European Union appeals to the Government of Belarus to release Alexander Kazulin immediately. The Appeal to the Government of Belarus came from the German Embassy which executes functions of local presidency on behalf of the EU in Belarus.

The European Community expresses deep concern in a worsening state of health of the ex-candidate on a post of the President of Belarus: "We emphasize the responsibility of the Government of Belarus for the state of health of Alexander Kazulin. We demand from the Government of Belarus a permission to visit Kazulin in a colony by the Ambassador of Germany and an independent doctor. We shall remind, that the political prisoner starves in a colony for a 51 day already."

Also, on December, 8 2006 the Congress of the Party of European Socialists (PES) (http://www.pes.eu) has called the Belarus authorities immediately and certainly to release the ex-candidate for presidency Alexander Kazulin, Nikolay Statkevich and everyone who has been recognized as a political prisoner in Belarus and immediately stop prosecution and pressure upon democratic opposition, and also the organizations of national minorities, to respect civil rights and freedoms of the Belarus citizens". PES has condemned "severe methods of pressure upon political opposition".

Meantime the Political Council of the United Democratic Forces of Belarus has passed a decision to stage an action of solidarity with Aleksandr Kazulin and other political prisoners on December 10, on the International Day of Human Rights Defence. Leaders of democratic parties have called upon citizens to come to Kastrychnitskaya Square in Minsk, on December 10, at 2 p.m.

"One cannot stand by and look indifferent as the regime cynically and cold-bloodedly kills a person. It is clear that over the last 12 years many people have been covered by armour of fear and indifference, but fortunately, there are people for whom freedom is the most important thing," underlined the chairman of the National Committee of the United Democratic Forces Anatol Lebedko. He also highlighted that "it is a case when we should stay humans in the first place, and then politicians, civil servants, right, left politicians, Orthodox or Protestants".

As we said before Aleksandr Kazulin continues the hunger strike for the 51st day. The politician protests against total lawlessness in Belarus, and demands to consider the situation in Belarus in the United Nations Security Council.

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.

38 Days of Kazulin Hunger Strike & 10 Years of Referendum

The leader of the Belarusian Social Democratic Party (Hramada) Aleksandr Kazulin, prisoner of the colony "Vitsba-3", went on a hunger strike on October 20, 2006. He protests against total lawlessness in Belarus and is trying to attract attention of the UN Security Council to the situation in Belarus. The hunger strike has affected his health and he lost 20 kg. Nevertheless he denied admission to a hospital and is prohibited to meet with his lawyer and relatives.

November 24 marked the 10th anniversary of holding a national referendum which considerably enlarged the powers of the president. Evaluating the results of the referendum of November 24, 1996, a lawyer Sergei Balykin told to the BelaPAN that the powers of the parliament and courts were drastically reduced. "In fact, the president was authorized to issue laws and to veto parliaments' decisions almost insuperably," he noted.

At the same time, as said by the lawyer, "the legitimacy of the referendum still raises serious doubts. Firstly, the Supreme Soviet of the 13th convocation, when setting a referendum, called a question about a redrafted Constitution a consultative one. And the president by his Decree of December 7 imparted the binding force to the referendum's decisions. However, according to the Constitution of 1994, the Supreme Soviet has an exclusive right for setting referendums and, correspondingly, for defining what questions should be decided at the referendum. The president was not entitled to overturn the decision of the parliament. Essentially, one could say that 10 years ago Belarus made the first step for transition from a republic to a monarchy. The second step was made in autumn of 2004, when a referendum lifted the restrictions for the number of terms in presidential position for one person," S. Balykin emphasized.

Sergey Skrebets is Released on November 15, 2006

(Aleksandr Kazulin is 4 Weeks on Hunger Strike Already)

On November 15, 2006 Sergey Skrebets, a political prisoner, has been released after a year and a half of imprisonment. The former deputy and an active oppositionist was charged with and sentenced to 2.5 years in a minimum-security correctional labour facility. In October Skrebets was suddenly amnestied and his term of imprisonment reduced by one year.

Human rights activists consider the verdict to the former deputy to be politically motivated. In summer 2004 he took part in the hunger strike of the "Respublika" deputies, who demanded democratization of the Electoral Code, and release political prisoners. He also was an organiser of a protest action timed to the end of a 10-year Lukashenko's rule in July 2004.

The former deputy connects his release with a hunger strike of solidarity with demands of the political prisoner Aleksandr Kazulin, who insists on consideration of situation in Belarus in the UN Security Council. As said by Skrebets, the state of health of Aleksandr Kazulin has considerably declined after four weeks of hunger strike. "Kazulin is very exhausted physically. It is serious to lose 17 kilograms with his height. I do not trust prison doctors, they wouldn't be able to help him to transit from a hunger strike. Their methods are to put a tube into one's mouth and feed forcibly. One of doctors threatened to do so to me, and boasted to have done that many times before. These are methods of a fascist concentration camp. A period after a hunger strike is a very difficult process, knowledge is needed. Any wrong decision can lead to a lethal outcome. I have serous concern over Kazulin's life. But he is not going to stop the hunger strike, he sees no reasons for that," Sergey Skrebets said in an interview to the Chater'97 Press-Center.