BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

05/04/2006

Lukashenko urged to free diplomat

From correspondents in Warsaw

POLAND today demanded Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko immediately release Warsaw's former ambassador, imprisoned for taking part in rallies to protest against Mr Lukashenko's re-election in March.

"Mr Lukashenko, I demand this Polish diplomat be freed immediately," Prime Minister Kazimierz Marcinkiewicz told reporters after meeting the ex-ambassador Mariusz Maszkiewicz's father, who is on hunger strike in protest at the imprisonment.

Mr Maszkiewicz was among 150 people jailed by Belarussian courts for up to 15 days on March 27 after police broke up protests against the election, judged fraudulent by the West.

He was hospitalised last week with heart problems and has appealed for his stay in a clinic to be counted as part of his prison term.

Poland openly backed the main opposition candidate to Mr Lukashenko in the election and has imposed visa restrictions on senior Belarus officials in its aftermath.

"I do not intend to end my hunger strike," Mr Maszkiewicz's father Jerzy told reporters.

"But I thank the prime minister for his promise to meet with me everyday ... until my son is released."

Source:

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,18717419%255E23109,00.html

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