Europe shouldn’t forget about its own proposals

The only way of democratic reforms in Belarus is step-by-step fulfillment of 12 recommendations of the European Union: immediate release of all political prisoners, cessation of any political repressions, changing the conditions of carrying out elections, believes one of the leaders of the civil campaign “European Belarus”, a former political prisoner Mikhail Marynich.

“I am sincerely happy that Alyaksandr Kazulin is released. In fact, a cynical verdict of a weak-willed, unprofessional court was reversed. This courageous person has gone through terrible ordeals and hold out. He has defended not only his honour and dignity, but rights of hundreds thousands of citizens of the country, who want changes,” Mikhail Marynich told in an interview to the Chater’97 press-centre.

However, as said by the politician, “the only way of democratic changes in the country is step-by-step fulfillment of 12 recommendations of the European Union: immediate release of all political prisoners, cessation of any political repressions, changing the conditions of carrying out elections. Participation in these pseudo-elections (the “parliamentary elections” are to be held in Belarus on September 28) won’t bring us closer to democracy. The answer to the pressure of the authorities on the political opposition and the civil society should become energetic actions on boycotting the existing regime”.

“Alyaksandr Kazulin’s release could be welcomed, but further steps towards improvement of the atmosphere in the society and towards democratization of the situation in Belarus in general should follow after that,” Mikhail Marynich is convinced.

he former candidate for presidency Alyaksandr Kazulin is kept in Vitsebsk colony for two years already. The politician had been sentenced to 5 years of imprisonment for hooliganism and staging street protest on Freedom Day on March 25, 2006.

The EU and the US demanded the release of the political prisoner. The denial to release Kazulin and other political prisoners was one of the reasons for imposing economic sanctions against the Belarusian regime by the US.