PACE Chairperson Not Allowed to Meet with Former Presidential Candidate Political Prisoner Alexander Kazulin

During his visit to Belarus Rene van der Linden intended to meet with political prisoner Alexander Kazulin, who serves a sentence for his political activity in Vitsba-3 prison. However, the Belarusian authorities did not allow the meeting.

“I think the meeting was refused because the Belarusian authorities were afraid that would confirm Kazulin’s status of a political prisoner, -- comments human rights defender Ales Bialiatski. Secondly, probably physically he is still very weak, and the authorities did not want the information to spread.”

Today PACE chairperson Rene van der Linden met representatives of the civic society and human rights defenders: Iryna Kazulina, wife of the former presidential candidate Alexander Kazulin, former political prisoner Siarhei Skrabets, human rights activists Ales Bialiatski and Harry Pananiaila, experts Aleh Manayeu and Yaraslau Ramanchuk, and chairperson of the Belarusian Association of Journalists Zhanna Litvina.

During the meeting PACE chairperson expressed special concern about the state of political prisoners. He had a short meeting with Iryna Kazulina, wife of the former presidential candidate.