Kazulin denied early release

Administration of the penal colony №3 informed in written form relatives of political prisoner Alyaksandr Kazulin that he was denied of parole release. The official letter runs that Kazulin “gave a negative account of himself: he has 10 breaches of discipline.”

On 24 January the commission of the supervisors of the brigade 1 was described as a “malicious discipline violator,” the letter from administration says. On 30 January the commission on parole release denied A.U. Kazulin of early release, as he “doesn’t try to mend his way,” the letter runs.

Political prisoner Alyaksandr Kazulin, former candidate for presidency in Belarus, came back to the Vitsebsk colony yesterday. He attended the funeral of his wife Iryna Kazulina, died last Saturday from hard disease. His three-day release, given by the Belarusian authorities under pressure of the world community, is over.

The EU and the US demand permanent and unconditional release of Alyaksandr Kazulin as a starting condition for beginning of negotiations with the official Minsk on normalisation of relations with the West. It was said in the statement of Tom Casey, US State Department’s Deputy Spokesman spread on 26 February. He stressed the permanent release of Alyaksandr Kazulin would mean that “all internationally recognized political prisoners” would be released. As soon as it will happen, the US is “prepared to begin a dialogue with Belarus on further steps to improve bilateral relations,” T. Casey said.