Николай Козлов. Фото: Офис Тихановской.
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya has appointed Mikalai Kazlou as the representative of the United Transitional Cabinet for restoring law and order.
Earlier, the Coordination Council recommended Kazlou for the position.
“I believe that his extensive professional experience in law enforcement and public and political activity, his authority among relevant organizations, as well as his personal qualities will allow him to effectively fulfill the duties of this position,” Tsikhanouskaya wrote about Kazlou in a letter to the Coordination Council.
Kazlou is a former criminal investigation officer who left the police in 2009 in protest against falsifications during the parliamentary elections. In 2022, he was sentenced to 2.5 years in prison and recognized as a political prisoner. After serving his sentence, he left Belarus due to the threat of new criminal prosecution. Since 2018, he has headed the United Civic Party. He is the recipient of the 2023 Bush–Thatcher Prize for Freedom.