BBC News Online.
Thursday, 25 January, 2001
"Cuban law promotes repression" says group
A leading human rights group has criticised Cuba's legal system for
endorsing what it says are flagrant human rights abuses.
Referring to the detention earlier this month of two Czech nationals, the
Director of Human Rights Watch America, Jose Miguel Vivanco, said the Cuban
criminal code was fundamentally flawed -- and that, in effect, it sanctioned
political persecution.
The two Czechs, a former finance minister, Ivan Pilip, and a former student
leader, Jan Bubenik, were arrested after meeting local dissidents.
They're being held on charges of plotting against the communist government
-- charges they deny.
On Wednesday, Cuba suggested an end to the diplomatic row would be for the
detainees to admit the Cuban government was right. Relations between the Czech
Republic and Cuba became strained last year after Prague sponsored a United
Nations resolution condemning Havana's human rights record.
Bill to ease sanctions against Cuba
Two United States senators have filed a bill that would ease the US trade
embargo against Cuba.
The legislation -- put forward by Republican Senator Pat Roberts and
Democrat Byron Dorgan -- would grant Cuba access to US export credits and bank
loans to buy American food.
It would also relax travelling restrictions to the island.
Senator Roberts said that although he was unhappy with Cuba's past actions,
it was important to re-insert the island into the world economy. Last month, the
Cuban authorities dismissed a call by a United States panel of foreign policy
experts for a significant relaxing of sanctions, saying it contained nothing
new.
In their report, the experts recommended increasing contacts between the US
and Cuba, as part of efforts to encourage a transition to democracy.
From the newsroom of the BBC | 