BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

09/12/2006

Kozulin to continue hunger strike

MINSK. Dec 9 (Interfax) - Former Belarussian presidential candidate Alexander Kozulin has decided to continue his hunger strike until at least Monday, the Vidba-2 penitentiary, where Kozulin is serving his prison term, told Interfax on Saturday.

"Kozulin changed his earlier intention to stop the hunger strike today and decided to continue it until Monday," a penitentiary source said.

Kozulin's decision to continue the hunger strike was "influenced by information he heard on a radio station that no European Union member state will initiate hearings on Belarus at a UN Security Council session," the source said.

"Kozulin is in a cheerful mood, although he stays in bed most of the time," he said.

Kozulin's wife Irina told Interfax on Friday she planned to send a telegram to her husband to tell him that all his demands had been fulfilled and that he "can stop his hunger strike."

"The telegram will state that 'the political council of the Belarussian democratic forces addressed the UN Security Council and that the European Union ambassadors accredited in Belarus informed their governments about Kozulin's demands," she said.

Kozulina earlier told Interfax that her spouse promised to end the hunger strike if at least one country voices its intention to raise the issue of Belarus at the UN Security Council.

Kozulina said on Echo Moskvy on Saturday that the European Union had made an official statement regarding the situation.

"I received a telephone call from the German Embassy and was told that the statement was issued, but, unfortunately, I could not receive it because of problems with e-mail. I really hope that I will get the statement today and that the penitentiary administration will give me the chance to talk with my husband on the phone and read him the text of the statement," she said.

"I should do all I can, because not days but hours matter now, and I understand that Alexander's condition is critical," Irina Kozulina said.

Kozulin has been on a hunger strike since October 20 and has lost more than 30 kilograms in weight.

Source:

http://www.interfax.com/3/221148/news.aspx