US and EU wait for final release of Kazulin
2- 27.02.2008, 10:15
A statement of the US State Department expresses hope for early and final release of Alyaksandr Kazulin, and expresses sympathy at the untimely death of Kazulin’s wife Iryna.
As Tom Casey, US Department of State Deputy Spokesman stated, it is very important that Kazulin’s release was a final one. If the political prisoner would be granted early release, the US would be ready to start a dialogue with Belarus concerning further steps on improvement of bilateral cooperation, Radio Svaboda informs.
On behalf of the US Department of State Tom Casey has also expressed regret that A. Kazulin was released only after his wife’s death. As Radio Svaboda was told by press-services of the European Commission and the European Parliament, the situation in Minsk is closely followed by the EU as well.
As said European Parliament deputy Bernd Posselt, the EU wanted to hope for quick release of the “last Belarusian political prisoner”. However, is there a guarantee that on the next week after that release new people won’t be arrested or detained in Belarus?” Mr. Posselt asks.
As believed by the Europeran politician, only profound changes in the general Belarusian situation could guarantee that a Belarusian citizen won’t be punished for one’s political views.
As we have informed, members of the International affairs Committee of the European Parliament headed by Jacek Saryusz-Wolski demanded unconditional release of Alyaksandr Kauzlin. However, they called outrageous and antihuman the fact that for two days after his wife’s death Kazulin wasn’t granted a leave.
The decision of the regime to allow Kazulin attending his wife’s funeral was welcomed by Foreign Minister of Germany Frank-Walter Steinmeier. However he noted that “only a release of all political prisoners would be viewed as a precondition in the cause of step-by-step revival of relations between the European Union and Belarus”. Mr Steinmeier underlined that Belarus could reach full-fledged cooperation with Europe on the ground of European values, democracy and principles of a rule-of-law state.
