EU and OSCE condemn prison sentence on opposition figure, Aleksandr Kazulin

The European Union and the Organization of Security and Cooperation in Europe have criticized the trial in Minsk which sentenced Belarusian opposition figure Aleksandr Kazulin to five and a half years imprisonment. The ex-presidential candidate was charged with hooliganism and taking part in an unsanctioned opposition rally on 25 March 2006.

The OSCE’s statement describes the sentence as “excessively severe”.

The EU stresses that the court ruling was issued “with violations of fundamental civil liberties”.