A/HRC/4/16 page 10 Belarus and to draw the attention of the United Nations Security Council to the situation in Belarus. On 8 December, the Special Rapporteur urged the Belarus authorities to assure Mr. Kazulin’s access to proper health care and to grant family members, his legal representatives and independent monitors free access to Mr. Kazulin. The Special Rapporteur was informed that on 12 December Mr. Kazulin interrupted his hunger strike on its fifty-fourth day and that, according to the prison authorities, his wife and lawyer would be granted access to him. 26. In August, four activists of the organization Partnerstva were sentenced to different terms of imprisonment under article 193.1 of the Criminal Code: organization of or participation in the activities of an unregistered association, for their intention to observe the presidential elections in March 2006. Two of them received 6 month sentences and were released very soon thereafter, as they had already spent that time in custody. Mikalay Astreika was sentenced to 2 years, but on 17 November, his sentence was changed to a lighter one, “corrective labour”, allowing him to live at home and work at a specified workplace. Part of his salary is remitted to the State. Timofey Dranchuk received a 1 year sentence and was released on parole on 26 December. 27. On 1 November 2006, Dzmitry Dashkevich, leader of the Young Front, was sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment on charges of “organizing the activity of an unregistered public movement”. He had been detained since 15 September on suspicion of violation of article 193.1 of the Criminal Code. 28. On 3 November 2006, several Belarusian activists were obstructed or arrested by the authorities on their way to Kyiv where they were to take part in a regional conference of Belarusian opposition leaders in advance of local elections. Freedom of religion 29. The situation regarding freedom of religion has not improved since the last report of the Special Rapporteur. The Belarusian Orthodox Church still benefits from privileges not enjoyed by other religious organizations. Despite protests from religious communities, it has been alleged that State textbooks continue to make false allegations aimed at discrediting religious minorities. 30. The 2002 law “On religion” contains particular restrictions on religious freedom for foreign citizens. For instance, only religious associations made up of at least 10 registered religious communities and including at least one active on the national territory for at least 20 years have the right to invite foreign citizens to conduct religious activities. The five registered Belarusian Krishna communities complained to the United Nations that they were unable to invite foreign citizens to conduct religious activities. In January 2006, Belarus rejected the finding by the Human Rights Committee that there had been a violation of the Krishna devotees’ freedom of religion (see CCPR/C/84/D/1207/2003 of 23 August 2005). In August, the State Committee for Religious Affairs denied the Full Gospel Union permission to invite a Nigerian pastor to preach in three of its churches on the grounds that the visit was “not expedient”. 31. In 2006, the work permit of United States citizen Stewart Vinograd, pastor of the Minsk-based Messianic Jewish congregation, was not renewed. Twelve Polish Catholic priests and nuns were also informed that their visas would not be renewed at the end of the year.