From: hrcoord@igc.apc.org (Human Rights Coordinator)
Newsgroups: soc.rights.human
Subject: HUMAN RIGHTS: Major rise in Cuban p
Date: 20 Dec 92 15:28:00 GMT
Nf-ID: #N:cdp:1476700903:000:5701
Nf-From: cdp.UUCP!hrcoord    Dec 20 07:28:00 1992


From: Human Rights Coordinator <hrcoord>
Subject: HUMAN RIGHTS: Major rise in Cuban p

/* Written 12:10 am  Dec 20, 1992 by newsdesk@igc.apc.org in
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original date only with permission from 'newsdesk'.

Title: HUMAN RIGHTS: Major rise in Cuban political jailings say
Amnesty

london, dec 17 (ips/candy gourlay) -- the human rights watchdog
amnesty international has catalogued a dramatic increase in people
imprisoned for criticising the cuban government and its policies.

but amnesty made a link between the economic pressures on cuba --
still subject to ever-tightening u.s. sanctions -- following the
collapse of the communist bloc in europe and the crackdown on
dissidents on the island.

the increase in prisoner numbers have been accompanied by harsher
sentences, with government critics sentenced to jail sentences as
long as 10 years, according to the report entitled 'cuba:
silencing the voices of dissent', published thursday.

amnesty international estimates that cuba's so-called ''prisoners
of conscience or probable prisoners of conscience'' number from
300 to 500. restrictions on human rights monitoring has made it
difficult to set more exact figures or prove additional
allegations.

''against a changing political situation, the fall of eastern
europe, cuba has been in a deepening economic crisis partly
because of the loss of trade with the eastern bloc,'' says anna
stutter, spokesperson for amnesty's secretariat in london.

''there is a reason to make links between the crackdown on dissent
and cuba's isolation.'' the amnesty report is calling for the
immediate and unconditional release of all prisoners of
conscience.

the report also recommends a review of sentences meted to all
political prisoners, both those convicted on state security
offences and for political crimes. the review would ensure that
they got a fair trial in accordance with international standards.

amnesty believes there to be many more cases than those documented
by the report. human rights groups within cuba have found it
difficult to establish details of human rights, especially in
areas outside the capital havana.

amnesty itself relies on affiliated human rights monitoring groups
for information, as its staff are barred from cuba.

thus people who stray from the government line are risking
punishment. ''people can be arrested and imprisoned for simply
shouting or writing slogans critical of the government,'' says the
report, ''or lose their jobs for criticising the worsening working
and living conditions.

''those who try to get together in unofficial groups and/or
attempt to demonstrate their discontent in the streets may also
face arrest for a variety of offences. (more/ips)

human rights: major rise in cuban political jailings say
amnesty(2-e)

even those already in prison who try to make public their
complaints about their own cases or prison conditions in general
or criticise the government are sometimes accused of enemy
propaganda and given additional sentences.''

arrests are made under article 61 of the cuban constitution which
states: ''none of the freedoms which are recognised for citizens
can be exercised contrary to what is established in the
constitution and law, or contrary to the existence and objectives
of the socialist state, or contrary to the decision of the cuban
people to build socialism and communism. violations of this
principle can be punished by law''.

the report notes the case of dissidents yndamiro restano diaz and
maria elena aparicio of the harmony movement (mar), jailed for ten
years jail on a rebellion charge. mar is accused of trying to
change the country's ''political, economic and social structure''

sebastian arcos bergnes, vice president of the unofficial cuban
committee for human rights, received four years and eight months
imprisonment in october for spreading ''enemy propaganda'' by
sending 'false information' abroad on human rights violations.

cuba's economy has suffered severely since the end of the cold war
and the break up of the soviet bloc, when cuban president fidel
castro ruiz came under pressure from critics at home and overseas
to abandon the socialist cause.

castro responded by hardening his resolve against change. except
for a brief period in 1988-1989 when the government appeared to
tolerate the activities of certain unofficial groups, the
suppression of dissent has continued and even increased.

dissidents found themselves liable for imprisonment for expressing
''disrespect'' towards castro or his officials. for example, jose
luis pujol irizar, president of the unofficial 'open the island
project' wrote a critical letter to castro and was jailed for
three years.

political and human rights groups accuse authorities of
harassment, alleging that members are regularly picked up for
questioning about their activities by the security forces or
members of the paramilitary 'people's rapid response
detachments'.

in late 1991 and early 1992, amnesty received reports of attacks
on human rights workers by members of these detachments. such
incidents, known as ''actos de repudio'' or 'acts of repudiation',
often ended with the injury and arrest of victims.

despite the authorities' claims that the 'acts of repudidation'
are the spontaneous action of ordinary citizens in defence of the
cuban revolution, there is clear evidence that party organisations
and security forces are behind them, the report says.

the report calls for the disbanding of the detachments, or at
least their supervision by government officials and regulation
under law. (end/ips/hr/cg/rj/92)