May 14, 1997

PRESS RELEASE

FROM CUBA:

THE CUBAN GOVERNMENT RELEASES ATTNY. LEONEL MOREJON ALMAGRO, NATIONAL DELEGATE TO CONCILIO CUBANO

After serving a 15-month jail sentence, due to an alleged crime of contempt, the Cuban regime set free, on Friday, May 9th, attorney Leonel Morejon Almagro, National Delegate to the Concilio Cubano.

Leonel Morejon Almagro had been detained by Fidel Castro's political police on February 15, 1996, in the midst of a repressive wave which led to the arrests of hundreds of activists, all members of the forum Concilio Cubano, a civic project composed by more than 150 organizations which had scheduled their first Assembly for February 24th of the same year.

Amnesty International classified him as a prisoner of conscience, asking for his freedom and several American Congressmen forwarded his candidacy to the Nobel Peace Prize, but the Cuban government kept him in Ariza prison, located in the distant province of Cienfuegos, for the 15 months duration of his sentence.

In a brief statement issued from Havana by activist Nery Gorotiza Campoalegre, it is advised that the leader of Concilio Cubano will take a one week rest period along with his family and, starting Thursday, May 15th, he will issue statements to the press.

Translated for CubaNet by Lourdes Arriete