BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

14/12/2006

Belarus Advises Washington "Not To Chase Phantoms"

Belarusian Foreign Ministry spokesman Andrey Papou said on December 13 that the U.S. attempt to raise the issue of imprisoned Alyaksandr Kazulin's hunger strike in the UN Security Council (see "RFE/RL Newsline," December 13, 2006) was a "propaganda trick intended for the media," Belapan reported. "This situation is a typical case where a shot goes wide. Alyaksandr Kazulin had already stopped his hunger strike when the Americans attempted to raise this issue in the UN Security Council," Papou noted. He also suggested that Washington should tackle "real, not imaginary" matters in the UN. "That is why we would once again advise the American side not to chase phantoms and to start working out its privileged status as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, which carries special responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security," Papou added. Meanwhile, Kazulin's wife Iryna said the same day that the U.S. move testified that, "It was not in vain that Alyaksandr tortured himself by hunger striking" for 53 days. JM

Source:

http://www.rferl.org/newsline/2006/12/3-cee/cee-141206.asp