SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR EXPRESSES DEEP CONCERN OVER DETERIORATING HEALTH OF ALEXANDER KAZULIN

8 December 2006


The Following statement was issued by the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Belarus, Adrian Severin.

"The Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Belarus, Adrian Severin, expresses his deepest concern over the deteriorating health condition of Mr. Alexander Kazulin after 49 days of hunger strike.

Mr. Kazulin, leader of the Belarusian Socialist Democratic party "Narodnaya Hramada", and former presidential candidate, was sentenced to five-and-a-half years imprisonment in July 2006. In September, the Minsk City Court rejected his appeal and confirmed the district court decision. On 20 October, Mr. Kazulin started a hunger strike to protest against the lawlessness in Belarus and to draw the attention of the Security Council to the situation in Belarus. The Special Rapporteur was informed that, in a letter to his family, Mr. Kazulin had indicated that a doctor's examination on 27 November confirmed that he had lost 36 kilos.

The Special Rapporteur urgently appeals to the Belarus authorities to assure Mr. Kazulin access to proper health care. He strongly urges the Government of Belarus to grant family members, his legal representatives and independent monitors free access to Mr. Kazulin."
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