Will authorities release Alyaksandr Kazulin?

Daughters of Alyaksandr Kazulin are going to visit the Vitebsk colony Vitsba-3 to have a meeting their father.

Recently Alyaksandr Lukashenka has said bargaining of political prisoners with European Union ended, and he is waiting for counter-moves. What do relatives of the political prisoners think about the destiny of those who are still in prison?

“We are going to visit the prison to take our father with us,” Yulya Kazulina joked when speaking with Radio Svaboda correspondent before the meeting. Yulya explained such hopes have grounds and reminded the recent releases of political prisoners Zmitser Dashkevich and Artur Finkevich.

“I’d like to hope for best. We hope for best. We don’t know any news about our father, he wrote long ago. We will sort out this problem,” the daughter of the political prisoner said.

But Alyaksandr Lukashenka said on 12 February about the recent release of political prisoners: “We have turned over this painful page... It’s time for the EU to demonstrate its good intentions towards the Belarusian people.”

Yulya Kazulina received Alyaksandr Lukashenka’s words as a signal: she can’t hope for soon release of her father.

“Of course, they will keep our father in prison to the bitter end as a joker. I’d like to hope for best. We’ll see how the things will come around,” Yulya Kazulina commented on Lukashenka’s words.

Alyaksandr Kazulin will have spent two years in prison in 41 days. The former presidential candidate was imprisoned for hooliganism and organisation of street riot on Freedom Day. Famous human rights activist Ales Byalyatski thinks the release of political prisoners Dashkevich and Finkevich shouldn’t stroke us down.

“The international community names Kazulin, Klimau, Zdzvizhkou and Andrei Kim, the criminal case against whom has just been initiated on entrepreneurs’ rally, among political prisoners. The West hardly will begin a dialog with the regime until they are released. But the West treats these steps seriously, and I’d recommended the authorities to take further steps,” the human rights activist thinks.

On 25 March, Freedom Day, the opposition is going to hold a rally in Minsk timed to 90th anniversary of the Belarusian National Republic. Will the mass repressions take place again? Will it come out that the authorities release some oppositionists, but throw others to prison? Ales Byalyatski doesn’t exclude it, but hopes for best like Yulya Kazulina.

“I wouldn’t believe the situation is hopeless. The experience of Libya shows: if there is political will, both foreign and inner policy as well as situation in society will change,” the daughter of the political prisoner thinks.

According to the information of the relatives of other Belarusian political prisoners, nothing has changed to the better. Andrei Klimau is kept in one of the strictest Mazyr colony. Alyaksabndr Zdzvizhkou is waiting for hearing of the cassational appeal in the Minsk pre-trial detention center. Andrei Kim is in the pre-trial detention center on Valadarski Street. A number of public figures offered to bail Andrei Kim, but this offer hasn’t been examined yet. Ihar Rynkevich, former lawyer of Alyaksandr Kazulin, said it.