Czech Republic criticises conviction of Belarusian opposition leader

The Czech Foreign Ministry has joined the EU's criticism of the court verdict that sent Belarusian opposition leader Alyaksandr Kozulin, a presidential candidate in this year's election, to prison, the Ministry said in a statement on Friday. Mr Kozulin was sentenced to 5.5 years in prison on Thursday for organising protest rallies against the re-election of Alexander Lukashenko as Belarusian president. The Czech Foreign Ministry said the decision could be viewed as another step in a series of politically motivated repressions against the opponents of the current Belarusian regime.