|
Amnesty International.
November 6, 2002.
Some critics of the Cuban government continue to face harassment and
detention for the non-violent expression of their political beliefs, Amnesty
International said today.
While welcoming the recent release of former political prisoner Oscar Elias
Biscet -- whom the organization had adopted as a "prisoner of conscience"
-- Amnesty International
published today a new report detailing
several cases of people detained in connection with their political activities.
Two of them -- Leonardo Bruzón Avila and Carlos Alberto Domínguez
González -- are also considered by Amnesty International to be "prisoners
of conscience," detained solely for the non-violent exercise of their
rights to freedom of expression and association. Both men were detained on 23
February 2002 and have been held without trial ever since.
"Freedom is the price that these two men are being made to pay for the
exercise of their basic rights," Amnesty International said. "As such,
they must be immediately and unconditionally released," the organisation
continued.
Leonardo Bruzón was apparently arrested to prevent him from taking
part in dissident activities. His health has recently deteriorated seriously
following a hunger strike in protest against his detention, reportedly requiring
transfer to hospital. The motives for the arrest of Carlos Alberto Domínguez
were unclear, although in days preceding his arrest he had reportedly attended
several Catholic masses on behalf of political prisoners.
Amnesty International's report includes several cases of people also
apparently detained in relation to their involvement in peaceful dissident
activities. These include Emilio Leyva Pérez and Lázaro Miguel
Rodríguez Capote, detained since February without trial.
Additionally, the organization is reviewing the cases of numerous dissidents
detained in the days following the 27 February incident in which a group of
young Cubans drove a bus into the premises of the Mexican Embassy in Havana, in
an apparent attempt to leave Cuba. The detained dissidents are said to be still
awaiting formal charges.
** The report, CUBA: New prisoners of conscience and possible prisoners of
conscience will be available on the web at
http://www.web.amnesty.org/ai.nsf/recent/amr250082002
Public Document
For more information please call Amnesty
International's press office in London, UK, on +44 20 7413 5566
Amnesty
International, 1 Easton St., London WC1X 0DW. web: http://www.amnesty.org
For latest human rights news view http://news.amnesty.org. | 
