BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

14/12/2006

Belarus opposition leader ends protest, as US offers support

Jailed Belarussian opposition leader Alexander Kozulin has ended a seven-week hunger strike, his family confirmed, amid protests from Russia over a US move to raise the country's human rights situation at the United Nations.

Kozulin's daughter, Yuliya Kozulina, told AFP Thursday that he had ended the protest, which started October 20, on Tuesday and that he might feel strong enough by Friday to see his lawyer.

"Today he is under the care of doctors, but he is not taking any medicines. He is only taking juices and liquified oatmeal. We hope that tomorrow he will be able to see his lawyer," Yuliya Kozulina said.

Kozulin was arrested during street protests against President Alexander Lukashenko's controversial re-election in March, in which Kozulin was one of two opposition candidates. In July he was sentenced to five and a half years in prison for "organising disturbances."

Since his imprisonment his weight has fallen 39 kilograms (86 pounds), from 103 to 64 kilograms (227 to 141 pounds), with most of that loss taking place during the hunger strike, according to his wife Irina Kozulina.

Kozulin previously said that his action would end if a Western power mentioned his country's human rights situation at the United Nations. This happened late Tuesday at the United Nations in New York when the United States provoked the ire of Belarus and Russia by raising Kozulin' case.

However, Kozulin had ended his hunger strike a short time earlier, his family said, apparently satisfied by expressions of support last Friday from the United Nations' independent expert on human rights.

The United States has consistently backed the beleaguered opposition in Belarus, dubbing Lukashenko Europe's "last dictator" and accusing the government in Minsk of rigging elections and imprisoning political opponents.

Belarus and its main backer Russia reject these charges.

Both countries complained that the US statement Tuesday in the UN Secruity Council about human rights in Belarus and Kozulin's case had violated the international body's rules.

"All the noise raised by the Americans on this issue is nothing more than propaganda trick aimed at the media," Andrei Popov, a spokesman for Belarus' foreign ministry, said Wednesday. "I would once again advise the American side not to chase phantoms."

The Russian reaction was also strong. "We consider this step by the American side to be an attempt to turn the Security Council into a place to discuss internal US political interests," the foreign ministry said in a statement.

The United States repeated its call on Minsk to reform.

"The United States is taking advantage of every opportunity to raise the subject of human rights in Belarus," the US embassy in Minsk said.

"We applaud Mr Kozulin's dedication and are glad that by ending his hunger strike Mr Kozulin will be able to make a continuing contribution to the cause of democracy and freedom. The United States calls again upon the Belarussian authorities to free all political prisoners," the statement said Wednesday.

Kozulin's wife Irina said the reaction showed that "Alexander did not suffer that hunger strike for nothing."

AFP

Source:

http://www.turkishpress.com/news.asp?id=155346