BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

12/07/2006

Belarusian Opposition Calls On Putin To Stop Supporting President

The families of political victims in Belarus delivered on July 10 a statement to the Minsk embassies of G8 countries in which they called on Russian President Vladimir Putin to stop supporting Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka, Belapan reported. According to the statement, more than 1,200 opposition supporters were jailed, dismissed from their jobs, or expelled from educational institutions during and after the March presidential election. "I believe that it is necessary to raise the issue of political prisoners in Belarus at the G8 summit, because it is the pain of the entire world, not just Europe," said Ina Kuley, who coordinates the committee for support of political victims, the organization established this spring by the team of opposition leader Alyaksandr Milinkevich. AM

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