Central Europe Online. January 16,
2001.
PRAGUE, Jan 16, 2001 -- (CTK - Czech News Agency) Elisardo Sanchez, director
of the Cuban dissident Human Rights and National Reconciliation Commission,
confirmed by phone for CTK today that deputy Ivan Pilip (Freedom Union) and
another Czech citizen Jan Bubenik had met two Cuban dissidents in Ciego de Avila
on Friday.
He denounced the detention on Friday of Pilip and Bubenik who, he said, had
not tried to hand to the dissidents any material or financial assistance. "The
commission considers the detention of the Czech citizens as an expression of
xenophobia of the Cuban government in relation to foreigners and as ungrounded
because they committed no offence," Sanchez said.
The office of the French news agency AFP in Havana today quoted Hector
Palacios, head of the Social Studies Center which though illegal is tolerated by
Fidel Castro's regime, as saying that Pilip and Bubenik had met " a little
known" dissident in the town of Camagey.
Afterwards they allegedly "left for a meeting with the director of one
of human rights protection organizations in Ciego de Avila where they were later
detained." According to Palacios the detention reflects the "crisis"
which has affected relations between Cuba and the Czech Republic. CTK could not
reach Palacios at his Havana telephone number today. Pilip and Bubenik have been
on a private trip to Cuba.
((c) 2001 CTK - Czech News Agency)
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