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Cuban
political prisoner suffers serious decline in
her health
PRIMA
News, July 28, 2003.
Prominent Cuban political prisoner Martha Beatriz
Roque Cabello was transferred on the morning of
July 24 from Manto Negro (Black Mantle) women's
prison in the area of El Watao, Havana, to a military
hospital due to serious deterioration of her health.
This report came from a Miami-based Cuban exile
group, Madres y Mujeres Anti-represi?n por Cuba,
or M.A.R. por Cuba (Mothers and Women Against
Repression). On Friday, July 25, the organization
received an urgent phone call from Maria de los
Angeles Falcon Cabello, niece of Martha Beatriz
Roque Cabello. She said her aunt was taken to
the Carlos J. Finlay military hospital in Havana.
Citing an anonymous telephone call, Maria de los
Angeles Falcon Cabello said the woman was hospitalized
because of high blood pressure, chest pain and
a nose bleed. Officials at Villa Marista (state
security headquarters) confirmed to the niece
that Martha Beatriz has been hospitalized due
to a heart condition, and that she is presently
undergoing treatment. Martha Beatriz's niece was
not allowed to see her.
Martha Beatriz Roque Cabello is a former teacher
of economics. In 1997, she co-authored a famous
dissident manifesto entitled "Homeland Belongs
to All!" for which she was tried and sentenced
to three years in prison. Following her release,
she continued her efforts to organize the dissident
movement in Cuba. Became the leader of the Assembly
to Promote Civic Society in Cuba, a major dissident
group in Cuba, and the Institute of Independent
Economists aligned to the opposition. On April
3 of this year Martha Beatriz Roque was sentenced
to 20 years in prison for "subversive activity".
PRIMA News Agency[2003-07-28-Cuba-20]
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