The Human Rights House Foundation has sent a protest letter to Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka, addressing the continued detention of former presidential candidate Alyaksandr Kazulin. Kazulin was adopted as a prisoner of conscience by Amnesty International (AI) last December and included in AI´s most recent appeals campaign. For previous coverage on Kazulin´s case, click here. (31-AUG-07)

Based on information material distributed by Amnesty International, Norway, this article has been prepared for publication by HRH F / Niels Jacob Harbitz.

Recall that Alyaksandr Kazulin, leader of the Belarusian Socialist Democratic Party, former presidential candidate, and former rector of the Belarusian State University, who has been in prison since June 2006, ended the 53-day hunger strike he began on October 20. The hunger strike was an act of protest against Alyaksandr Lukashenka´s tenure in power and a demand that the UN Security Council consider the Belarusian problem.

HRH F appeals to all readers of this article to send a letter to President Alyaksandr Lukashenka. Below is a copy of the letter that HRH F has sent.

President Alyaksandr Lukashenka
ul. Karla Marxa 38
220016 Minsk
BELARUS

Fax: +375 172 26 06 10 / +375 172 22 38 72

Dear President Lukashenka,

We wish to respectfully draw your attention to the case of former presidential candidate, Alyaksandr Kazulin. He was sentenced in July 2006 to five and a half years in jail. We believe he is a prisoner of conscience as he is held solely for the peaceful exercise of his right to freedom of assembly, association and expression

We urge you to release him immediately and unconditionally. This is in compliance with your obligations under international standards, in particular Articles 19, 20 and 21 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Belarus is a state party.

Sincerely,

Human Rights House Foundation