12 November 1999
EXTRA 161/99 Prisoners of conscience / Arbitrary arrests
CUBA
Dr. Oscar Elias BISCET GONZALEZ, human rights activist Antonio ALONSO PEREZ, peasant leader Ramon Humberto COLAS CASTILLO, independent librarian and political activist Hector PALACIOS RUIZ, political activist At least a dozen others
More than 20 dissidents arrested in the run up to the IX Ibero-American Summit in Havana on 15-16 November 1999 are still detained. Many more are currently under house arrest. After President Fidel Castro yesterday warned dissidents against organizing protests around the summit and said that
nobody has impunity, Amnesty International is concerned that more will be arrested and that, under harsh new legislation aimed at silencing dissent, they face the prospect of long prison terms.
According to reports, Dr. Oscar Elias Biscet Gonzalez, president of the Fundacion Lawton de Derechos Humanos, Lawton Foundation for Human Rights, and three others involved in organizing a protest march in the capital on 10 November, have been arrested. The place of detention of Dr. Biscet, whose
arrest took place on 3 November, is not known. The march was prevented from taking place by government supporters who reportedly beat and kicked dissidents. Several protesters were also detained by State Security agents. The march was to protest alleged human rights abuses by the government and to
ask for the release of political prisoners.
On 7 November, Antonio Alonso Perez, President of the Alianza Nacional de Agricultores Independientes, Association of Independent Farmers, was detained as he set out to participate in a congress of independent farmers in Matanzas province, to which Presidents and Chancellors attending the
Ibero-American Summit had been invited. His brother was apparently told that he is under investigation.
Ramon Humberto Colas Castillo, a contributor to the independent press agency Cuba Press, an independent librarian and a member of the Partido Solidaridad Democratico (PSD), Democratic Solidarity Party, was detained on 8 November. Hector Palacios Ruiz, another PSD member, was detained on 12
November, the day he was due to participate in a meeting of dissidents.
The mothers of three political prisoners, who participated in a peaceful demonstration calling for the release of political prisoners, reportedly remain in detention following their arrest on 8 November.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Dr. Oscar Biscet is believed to have been detained more than a dozen times in the last year for his involvement in anti-government protests and meetings.
In August, Ramon Humberto Colas Castillo and his wife and two children were evicted from their home by the government. He was also temporarily arrested. He and his wife, Berta Mexidor, founded the first independent library in Cuba.
In 1997 Hector Palacios Ruiz served an 18 month prison sentence for 'disrespect'.
In February this year, Cuba's National Assembly passed tough new legislation (Law 88) aimed at combating political dissent. Under the 'Ley de Proteccion de la Independencia Nacional y la Economia de Cuba', 'Law for the Protection of the National Independence and Economy of Cuba', dissidents and
journalists deemed to be working against the state risk 20 years' imprisonment.
RECOMMENDED ACTION: Please send telegrams/telexes/faxes/express/airmail letters:
- expressing concern, in the run up to the Ibero-American Summit, at the arrests of more than two dozen dissidents;
- urging that all those still detained in connection with the summit be released unless charged with a recongizably criminal offence;
- requesting that Dr. Oscar Elias Biscet Gonzalez, Antonio Alonso Perez, Ramon Humberto Colas Castillo and Hector Palacios Ruiz be immediately and unconditionally released on the grounds that they are prisoners of conscience detained solely for peacefully attempting to exercise their right to
freedom of expression, association and assembly;
- urging that all those detained be granted immediate access to lawyers of their choosing.
APPEALS TO:
Attorney-General: Dr Juan Escalona Reguera Fiscal General de la Republica Fiscalia General de la Republica San Rafael 3, La Habana, Cuba Telegrams: Fiscal General, Havana, Cuba Telexes: 307 511456 fisge Faxes: 011 53 7 57 07 95 Salutation: Sr
Fiscal General / Dear Attorney General
Minister of Foreign Affairs: Sr. Felipe Perez Roque Ministro de Relaciones Exteriores Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores Calzada No. 360, Vedado La Habana, Cuba Telegrams: Ministro Relaciones Exteriores, Havana, Cuba Telexes: 307 511122 / 511464 / 512950
Faxes: 011 53 7 335261 / 33 3085 / 33 3460 Salutation: Senor Ministro / Dear Minister
Minister of the Interior: General Abelardo Colome Ibarra Ministro de Interior Ministerio del Interior Plaza de la Revolucion La Habana, Cuba Telegrams: Ministro Interior, Havana, Cuba Faxes: 011 53 7 335261 Salutation: Senor Ministro / Dear
Minister
COPIES TO:
National Union of Jurists: Union Nacional de Juristas Apartado 4161 La Habana 4, Cuba
Editor of Granma (daily newspaper): Sr Jacinto Granda de Laserna Granma Apdo 6260 La Habana, Cuba
Cuba has no embassy in the US at present. to contact its interest in the US, write
Cuban Interests Section Mr. Fernando Remirez de Estenoz 2630 - 16th St. NW Washington, DC 20009
Please send appeals immediately. Check with the Colorado office between 9:00 am and 6:00 pm, Mountain Time, weekdays only, if sending appeals after November 26, 1999.
This information is from Amnesty International's research headquarters in London, England. A.I. is an independent worldwide movement working for the international protection of human rights. It seeks the release of people detained because of their beliefs, color, sex, ethnic origin, language or
religious creed, provided they have not used nor advocated violence. These are termed prisoners of conscience. It works for fair and prompt trials for all political prisoners and works on behalf of such people detained without charge or trial. It opposes the death penalty, extra-judicial executions
(political killings), 'disappearances' and torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment of all prisoners without reservation. Amnesty International promotes awareness of and adherance to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other internationally recognized human
rights instruments, the values enshrined in them and the indivisibility and interdependence of all human rights and freedoms.
Please do not repost this appeal to any part of the Internet without prior permission from Amnesty International. Thank you for your help with this appeal.
Please read the monthly Urgent Action Network Newsletter posted on the web at: http://www.amnesty-USA.org/urgact/newslett.html
Urgent Action Network Amnesty International USA PO Box 1270 Nederland CO 80466-1270 Email: sharriso@aiusa.org http://www.amnestyusa.org/urgact/ Phone: 303 258 1170 Fax: 303 258 7881 |