Ihar Rynkevich: “Wasn’t it the “opposition” which asked Lukashenka not to release Kazulin?”

“Initially the BSDP (H) congress was prepared as a technical one. It was stated everywhere that it was connected with the so-called “parliamentary elections”. But finally a new leader was elected. It’s immoral, it is an awful political mistake, and it contradicts common sense,” told a deputy chairman of the Belarusian Social Democratic party (Hramda) Ihar Rynkevich in an interview to the Charter’97 press-centre.

“It’s immoral to beat a political prisoner in a cage who cannot respond. I know Kazulin as a courageous and proud person. I think he won’t stay in such a party. I have stated today that I am against considering this question at the congress. I am not going to leave the party right now, I joined it in 1991, and not because I joined persons like Lyaukovich. It is obvious that under the current leadership in the party it would be impossible to be an opponent and use some levers. The congress was held with numerous violations, tricks and manipulations. Nomination of candidates was non-transparent; sometimes we here in Minsk didn’t know that sessions for nomination of candidates had taken place in the regions already. To leave Kazulin without a party is advantageous only for the regime. Volha Kazulina reasonably asked members of the party at the congress: are you the opposition that asked Lukashenka not to release Kazulin?” Ihar Rynkevich stated.

As we have informed, on August 3 in Minsk a new leader of the Belarusian Social Democratic party (Hramada) was elected. Anatol Lyaukovich, a former deputy chairman of the party, succeeded Alyaksandr Kazulin, who is in prison for staging a mass rally on March 25, 2006, as the party leader. Kazulin was sentenced to 5.5 years of imprisonment.