OSCE Chairman-in-Office voices deep concern at "harsh" jail sentence imposed on Belarusian opposition leader

BRUSSELS, 14 July 2006 - OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Belgian Foreign Minister Karel De Gucht, has expressed his deep concern following the announcement yesterday evening of guilty verdicts and a jail sentence on Dr. Alexander Kozulin, an opposition candidate in last March's presidential elections in Belarus.

A sentence of five and a half years imprisonment was handed down yesterday by the Judge in the Moskovsky District Court (Minsk), who had found Dr. Kozulin guilty on charges of "hooliganism" and "organizing and participating in group activities that gravely violated public order".

"I find the entire handling of the alleged offences arising out of the circumstances surrounding the presidential elections in March to be gravely disturbing," said Foreign Minister De Gucht. "At the time, I condemned the police repression against demonstrators who were peacefully expressing their opinion and I called for restraint by the authorities.

"Although the OSCE Office in Minsk was allowed to monitor the trial, I now see that Belarus has basically ignored these calls and has tried to make an example out of Dr. Kozulin by imposing such a harsh sentence."

However, the Chairman-in-Office added his hope that, even at this late stage, the authorities could respond to the appeal by defence lawyers by dismissing the charges.

"In the meantime, Dr. Kozulin should be allowed to return home for the time awaiting his appeal. And, more generally, all political detainees in Belarus should be released," he added.