BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

13/07/2006

Belarus ex-candidate for president faces prison sentence

MINSK, July 13 (Itar-Tass) - A prosecutor has asked for a sentence of six years in prison for Alexander Kozulin, an ex-candidate for Belarus' president.

Kozulin is on trial in a Minsk court on charges of "heinous hooliganism, the organization of and active participation in group actions grossly violating the public order."

The prosecutor said in the court on Thursday that Moulin's guilt was "fully proved."

Moulin's defence lawyers argued at the trial that that the investigation was "not full, subjective and had an accusing bias," and no proof of his wrongdoing had been in fact presented.

"He must be acquitted on the grounds of a lack of crime," the defence said.

The indictment of Kozulin, a professor and former rector of the Belarusian University, is related with three episodes of his election campaign.

He was denied the right to hold a news conference in February and registration as a delegate to a congress of the All-Belarus People's Assembly in March.

Both episodes finished with scuffles with police.

Kozulin also smashed the glass of a portrait of the Belarusian president.

He led an opposition march that was not permitted by authorities in Minsk on March 25.

The interior Ministry's units dispersed the march using anti-riot equipment. Several people were seriously injured in the clashes.

Source:

http://www.itar-tass.com/eng/level2.html?NewsID=10621322&PageNum=0

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