Paxety Pages

PRESS RELEASE

SOLIDARITY CAMPAIGN AGAINST REPRESSION IN CUBA

Miami, Florida, July 23, 2005 – Alter the wave of repression unleashed during the last hours by Castro’s regime, we denounce the illegal and arbitrary arrests, as well as the violent and aggressive actions directed by Castro's political police against those who intended to demonstrate in a peaceful and orderly manner for the liberation of Cuban political prisoners in front of the French Embassy in Havana.

Cognizant of the repressive nature of Castro's regime, we are extremely concerned about the condition of all who remain detained, including the human rights activists who were arrested on July 13th while participating in a solemn act in remembrance of the victims of the "13th of March" tugboat, and the members of the National Secretariat of the Assembly to Promote Civil Society in Cuba - Felix Bonne Carcasses and René Gomez Manzano.

We hold Castro's regime accountable for the physical integrity of each and every one of them, and we will continue to monitor this situation very closely until all are liberated.

We ask that democratic governments and international organizations join this solidarity campaign for the liberation of all political prisoners.

Coordinating Committee - Information and Support Center Assembly to Promote Civil Society in Cuba

Ángel de Fana       Sylvia G. Iriondo      Mario Martínez
(305)-269-1812   (305)-361-6800     (1-954-547-8472)

 

*-Enclosed please find partial list of those detained in relation to the demonstration at the French Embassy in Havana on Friday, July 22, 2005.

PARTIAL LIST OF THOSE DETAINED IN RELATION TO THE DEMONSTRATION AT THE FRENCH EMBASSY IN HAVANA ON FRIDAY, JULY 22, 2005.

Bonne Carcassés Félix Antonio
Borrego Maria de los Ángeles
Colás García Ernesto
del Monte Emma Maria Alonso
Escuredo Marrero José (chofer)
Gil Portel Yusimit
Gómez Manzano René de Jesús
López Rodríguez Julio César
López Santos Miguel
Martínez Prieto Raúl
Medina Salabarría Ricardo Santiago
Moure Saladrigas Francisco
Noa Montes Georgina
Pena Rodríguez Niurka María
Peñalver Luis Manuel
Reyes Sánchez Jesús Adolfo
Rodríguez González Gloria Cristina
Valdés Tamayo Miguel

Not Confirmed
Oscar Mario González

As per information provided by Yarai Reyes, wife of Normando Hernández González Cuban Political Prisoner, senteced to 25 years of prison.

Plus, the EU is concerned:

EU CONCERNED OVER NEW CUBA CLAMPDOWN

Received Sunday, 24 July 2005 16:56:00 GMT

BRUSSELS, July 24 (AFP) - The European Union voiced deep concern Sunday over Cuba's latest clampdown on dissidents, lamenting a renewed hardening of stance in Havana six months after the EU suspended sanctions against the island state.

The European Commission, the EU's executive arm, welcomed news that key opposition figure Marta Beatriz Roque had been released, but condemned the rounding up of more than a dozen dissidents on Friday.

"The European Commission remains extremely concerned about the current political situation in Cuba," it said in a statement. "Recent events appear to show a clear hardening in the attitude of the government of Cuba."

"While the Commission is pleased at news of the release of Martha Beatriz Roque, the arrest of a number of Cuban dissidents on (Friday) nevertheless illustrates the extreme social tension in Cuba at the present time."

Roque, a 60-year-old economist, is president of the Assembly for the Promotion of Civil Society, which organized a protest Friday to demand the release of political prisoners from Cuban jails.
She was among a group of activists arrested in Havana in what appears to be a new crackdown on the opposition by President Fidel Castro's communist regime.

Dissidents said Sunday that Cuban authorities had released nine detained political dissidents over the weekend, including Roque, but continued to hold another 17 activists.

The EU slapped diplomatic sanctions on Cuba in 2003 after a crackdown on dissidents which saw 75 of them jailed. But the 25-nation bloc suspended the action in January, amid conciliatory signs from both sides.

The suspension was extended by EU foreign ministers in June, but in theory could be ended at any point. The next meeting of EU foreign ministers is scheduled at the start of September.