Ihar Rynkevich: “We should speak of Kazulin’s immediate release, not about leaves”

“We shouldn’t talk about short leaves for three days, but we should say that illegally condemn Alyaksandr Kazulin must be released from the colony immediately and unconditionally. There was no crime in his actions, and sooner or later the regime would have to admit that,’ lawyer Ihar Rynekvich said in an interview to the Charter’97 press-center, commenting on the words of the head of the Internal Ministry of Belarus Uladzimir Navumau that a political prisoner Kazulin hadn’t had a right to be released to attend his wife’s funeral.

As for the leave, the lawyer said: “The occasion of Kauzlin, and short-term leaves in general are regulated by Article 59 of the Correctional Code of Belarus. It is stated there that a prisoner has a right for a leave in case of one’s close relative’s death. But it is noted in the explanatory note that beside spouses, family members who are not natural relatives are meant by close relatives. The issue of granting leaves is considered in the similar way. When Iryna Kazulina was granted a right to meet with her husband previously, she was admitted a relative. She provided documents confirming joint residence and household management, and common children. The whole situation, the way they humiliated the Kazulins family, demands reputation to be restored. Navumau’s comments belong to this category as well. This statement is as cynical as the statement that there are no political prisoners in our country”.