By Jim Burns. CNS News
Senior Staff Writer. April 05, 2001
(CNSNews.com) - Freedom House, a New York-based organization dedicated to
promoting democracy and freedom, was blasted as a tool of the United States
government and the Central Intelligence Agency by a Cuban delegate to the United
Nations Human Rights Conference, which is now under way in Geneva, Switzerland.
Freedom House called the charges "baseless."
Radio Havana reported Wednesday night that Juan Fernandez, a Cuban delegate
at the conference, said Freedom House is "actually doing the work of the
U.S. government and its Central Intelligence Agency. Freedom House could be
called 'Langley House,'" he said, a reference to CIA headquarters, which is
located in Langley, Virginia, a suburb of Washington.
Freedom House spokesman Michael Goldfarb called the remarks "an attempt
to divert legitimate criticism about Cuba's human rights record."
"It's widely known that we have absolutely no ties to the Central
Intelligence Agency", Goldfarb added.
Fernandez accused Freedom House of recently financing "subversive
activities" by two Czech citizens, Ivan Pilip and Jan Bubenik, who were
arrested in Cuba after speaking with dissidents. The two were jailed and later
released without going to trial.
Freedom House, which recently hosted a reception for Pilip and Bubenik,
denied financing their activities in Cuba.
"It's open public knowledge that we do offer a Cuban Democracy Project.
That program is not in any way, shape or form involved in any form of subversive
activity," Goldfarb said.
The United Nations Human Rights Conference will take up a human rights
resolution next week. Secretary of State Colin Powell wants certain language
removed from the resolution - the part that criticizes the U.S. economic embargo
against Cuba. H
Both Poland and the Czech Republic thus far have indicated they will support
the U.S.
Florida Reps. Lincoln Diaz-Balart (R-Fla.) and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.)
plan to attend the U.N conference next week when that human rights resolution is
being debated. Both lawmakers are Cuban exiles who strongly oppose the regime of
Cuban leader Fidel Castro. | 