BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

14/03/2008

Daughter Of Imprisoned Belarusian Politician Requests Lighter Sentence

Yuliya Kazulina, the younger daughter of imprisoned former presidential candidate Alyaksandr Kazulin, on March 13 sent a second request to the Belarusian authorities to commute her father's remaining term to a non-custodial sentence, Belapan and RFE/RL's Belarus Service reported. Kazulina sent her request to the correctional facility where her father is incarcerated and to the punishment administration department at the Interior Ministry. Kazulina also urged officials to use their authority to declare null and void four disciplinary actions taken against her father. Kazulina's first request, sent to the administration of the correctional facility in February, was rejected. Kazulin's former lawyer Ihar Rynkevich said that Kazulin has served one-third of his prison term, and is therefore eligible for the remainder to be commuted to a milder punishment, in particular "corrective labor." Kazulin, who ran in the March 2006 presidential elections, was arrested during antigovernment demonstration that followed the polls and sentenced to 5 1/2 years in prison for organizing events that disturbed the public order. West governments regard Kazulin as the last remaining political prisoner in Belarus, following the recent releases of several other high-profile prisoners. AM

Source:

http://www.rferl.org/newsline/2008/03/3-cee/cee-140308.asp

Google