MINSK, February 24 (RIA Novosti) - Belarus opposition leader Alexander Kozulin who is serving a prison term started a hunger strike on Sunday to receive permission to attend his wife's funeral.
Kozulin challenged President Alexander Lukashenko at the 2006 presidential elections and was later imprisoned for five and a half years for organizing protests against the results of the poll that saw Lukashenko re-elected to a third term.
"Kozulin has started a hunger strike so that authorities grant him a leave for the funeral without any delays," Igor Rynkevich, Kozulin's former lawyer and his family friend, said.
Kozulin's wife Irina died of cancer on Saturday.
Rynkevich said Belarussian law envisaged the possibility of compassionate leave for imprisoned persons.
