May 6, 1997

FROM CUBA

INFORMATION FROM THE INDEPENDENT PRESS BUREAU OF CUBA.

1) Severe harassment against opposition member Maritza Lugo.

2) Handicapped's companions remain in detention.

1) Severe harassment against opposition member Maritza Lugo.

HAVANA, May 2, 1997 (BPIC).- The Technical Department of Investigations, Interior Ministry, has unleashed severe measures of harassment against opposition member Maritza Lugo Fernandez, the wife of the jailed president of the Democratic Party November 30th Frank Pais, since April 15th.

According to the information given to BPIC by the opposition party, Mrs. Lugo Fernandez has had file #25 of 97 opened against her by the DTI, of the Interior Ministry. To substantiate the charge, the police authorities alleged that a guard at prison 1580 in San Miguel del Padron, in the capital city, has been paid bribes to help smuggle information out of the prison, encouraged by Maritza Lugo.

The same source adds that on April 25th, Mrs. Lugo Fernandez was again summoned to the DTI offices in 100 and Aldabo, and was subjected to lengthy interrogation sessions laden with threats, intimidations and offensive language hurled by the officers against her.

The November 30th Party believes that the real reason for such treatment, against the wife of Rafael Ibarra Roque, political prisoner sentenced to 20 years, and sister of Osmel Lugo Gutierrez, also jailed for his political activity and vice-president of this opposition organization, is still unknown.

The police agents who have interrogated Maritza Lugo are the instructor Fernando Rodriguez, chief of instruction by the last name of Veitia and Mayor Armando Carrasquero, military prosecutor.

Reported by Mercedes Moreno.

2) Handicapped's companions remain in detention.

HAVANA, May 2, 1997 (BPIC).- At the women's western prison known as the Black Cloak, in the capital, there are, since April 5th, eight of the ten women who were detailed along with 179 physically handicapped who, by the government's authority in Old Havana, had been selling their products out of Agrimensor park, across from the central train station.

The jailed women are the sighted companions of the handicapped, and just as them, they were detained on March 27-29, and taken to the Technical Department of Investigations at 100 and Aldabo, where charges were filed to be tried for public disorder.

The youngest of the detainees, Irenia Rojas Bardaga, a 17-year old, had never had any problems with the police, she suffers from hypertension, and has kidney problems, according to the communique given to BPIC by her aunt Angela, a resident of Guanabacoa, who added that her niece has not been given medical attention at all during her detention, something which concerns her family a great deal.

"Irenia", said her aunt, "must follow the doctor's orders given by surgeon named Alvaro from the Clinical Surgery Hospital, located at 26th Avenue and Boyeros".

Most of the detained handicapped have been set free and are awaiting trial. One of them, Jorge Luis Golchan, who was detained along with his wife Igna Cardenas, who is still in jail, told his agency about the injustice and arbitrarines of the women's inprisonment, as well as, that of the rest of the handicapped, many of whom have yet to be visited by their attorneys.

Reported by Omar Rodriguez.

Translated for CubaNet by Lourdes Arriete