Alyaksandr Kazulin nominated for Sakharov prize

Former political prisoner Alyaksandr Kazulin is one of eights candidates for the annual EU parliament's Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Though.

Among the candidates for the prize are former Russian FSB colonel Mikhail Trepashkin, served punishment for divulging state secrets, Zimbabwean opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai and Colombian ex-hostage, former presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt.

Sakharov Prize, established in 1988, is awarded in December at the EEP session in Strasbourg.

Former candidate for presidency in Belarus Alyaksandr Kazulin was arrested for riot organising against rigging of the parliamentary election results on Freedom Day, March 25, 2006. On July 13, the Minsk city court sentenced Alyaksandr Kazulin to 5.5 years in prison.

The European Union and the US demanded to release the political prisoner. A refusal to release Kazulin and other political prisoners was among the reasons for imposing US economic sanctions on the Belarusian authorities.