EU expects “immediate release of all political prisoners”

• 18.08.2008, 12:41

Benita Ferrero-Waldner, European Commissioner for External Relations and European Neighbourhood Policy, welcomed release of the oppositional politician Alyaksandr Kazulin and stated that she counts on “immediate release of other Belarusian politicians”.

In the statement by Benita Ferrero-Waldner of August 18 it is stated that the verdict to A. Kazulin was “a direct violation of international commitments undertaken by the Belarusian authorities in the sphere of human rights,” the BelaPAN informs.

As said by her, the release of the oppositional politician is “a positive step the European Union had been expecting for such a long time”. “I greatly hope that the release of Kozulin would give a new impulse to development between Belarus and the EU,” the European Commissioner said.