BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

05/03/2007

Imprisoned Belarusian Oppositionist Relected As Party Leader

The opposition Belarusian Social Democratic Party (BSDP) reelected Alyaksandr Kazulin as its leader at a convention in Minsk on March 4, Belapan reported. There were no other nominees for the post. Kazulin, rector of Belarusian State University between 1996 and 2003, was elected chairman of the BSDP in July 2005. He was a candidate in Belarus's 2006 presidential election. Kazulin was arrested during a police crackdown on a peaceful postelection demonstration on March 25, 2006, and subsequently sentenced to 5 1/2 years in a correctional institution on charges widely believed to be politically motivated. He went on hunger strike from October 20 to December 11, 2006, to protest what he called the illegal reelection of President Alyaksandr Lukashenka to a third term and to draw the UN Security Council's attention to the situation in Belarus. He reportedly lost more than 30 kilograms during the protest. The jail administration has exempted Kazulin from work until April and put him on a special diet as he recovers from his fast. JM

Source:

http://www.rferl.org/newsline/2007/03/3-CEE/cee-050307.asp