Siarhei Skrabets Really Concerned about Kazulin’s Health

On October 16 Siarhei Skrabets, former MP and member of Respublika parliamentary group, held a press conference. Yesterday night he was released from Vitsba-3 prison.

Siarhei Skrabets was sentenced to 2.5 years of jail on February 14. He was accused of loan fraud.

Mr. Skrebets pointed out that he held the press-conference on request from his friend, former presidential candidate Alexander Kazulin. Siarhei Skrabets confirmed that Kazulin continued the hunger-strike and makes the following demands:

n real unification of the pro-democratic forces in Belarus;

n putting the Belarus issue on the agenda of the UN Security Council.

Kazulin refused to lie in a sanitary ward. Unfortunately, he doesn’t trust the jail doctors. Siarhei Skrabets is concerned about the fact that the prison administration might force Kazulin out of the hunger-strike by introduction of liquid food and medicine dropper. Moreover, that the prison guards claimed they had such an experience. Such actions may lead to death. “I am seriously concerned about his life”, -- Siarhei Skrabets told the journalists. According to him, there is a new wave of information blockade in our country.

This becomes especially evident in jail:

I lived in rather good conditions until Kazulin was imprisoned. When they brought Kazulin to the jail, they began to treat us both worse. They introduced a strict regime. The only radio I could listen to was RFE/RL. Letters from freedom were delayed. I don’t know if all my letters were received. There is no way to check that. No one is responsible for that. One can always blame the post service. What can I said, if his wife and lawyer can’t visit him?

Iryna Kazulina also participated in the press conference. She brought a blanket to her husband but the prison administration refused to accept it claiming they had no right to do that. Allegedly, the prisoners receive all bedding from the prison. Kazulin received only working clothes from his wife.

Siarhei Skrabets believes, Kazulin will be in prison as long as the president wishes. There is no way to hope for certain privileges.