From: lazaro@riemann.math.mun.ca (Lazaro Nunez)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.latin-america
Subject: Efforts on behalf of Maria Elena Cruz Varela
Date: 3 Oct 92 17:12:55 GMT
Organization: CS Dept., Memorial University of Newfoundland

Hi,

I just received the information I requested from Amnesty International
about Maria Elena Cruz Varela and other Cuban political prisoners. Here
I include all the information.

----------------------personal letter----------------------------------
					Amnesty International

17 September 1992

[My address]

Dear Mr. Nun~ez,

   Thank you for your letter of 9 September 1992 which describes the
circumstances surrounding the imprisonment of human rights activist
Maria Elena Cruz Varela in Cuba.
   The enclosed Urgent Action indicates of AI's adoption of Maria
Elena Cruz Varela as a Prisoner of Conscience, as well as recommended
action.
   If you become aware of any further details regarding this case,
please let us know.

Sincerely,

Roger Clark
Secretary General

---------------------------attachment-----------------------------------

		          URGENT ACTION

Amnesty International
International Secretariat
1 Easton Street, London WC1X 8DJ
United Kingdom

External (for general distribution)

Further information on UA 416/91 (AMR 25/26/91, 27 November 1991) and
follow-up AMR 25/26/91, 11 December 1991- Prisoners of Conscience/Legal
Concern

CUBA: Maria Elena CRUZ VARELA (f)
      Fernando VELASQUES MEDINA
      Pastor HERRERA MACURAN
      Jorge Aracelio POMAR MONTALVO
      Gabriel AGUADO CHAVEZ
      Elvira BARO (f)
      Hubert Luis MATOS SANCHEZ
      Eliecer AGUIAR LOPEZ (note correction of name)
      Marco Antonio ABAD FLAMAND, film maker
      Jorge CRESPO DIAZ, legal adviser to various human rights groups

Amnesty Internacional has learned that Elvira Baro was in fact released
shortly after her arrest in late November 1991 and was not brought to
trial. However, Marco Antonio Abad Flamand, who was arrested on 19
November 1991 while attempting to film the arrest of Maria Elena Cruz
Varela, and Jorge Crespo Diaz, who was arrested on 7 December 1991 while
visiting Marco Antonio Abad's wife, are still believed to be held at the
headquarters of the Departamento de Seguridad del Estado (DSE),
Department of State Security, at Villa Marista. Some reports suggest
that they are under investigation on a charge of "desacato", disrespect.
In the case of Marco Antonio Abad Flammand, he is believed to be accused
of having offended President Fidel Castro in the course of his work. It
is unlikely that these two will have access to lawyers.

Marco Antonio Abad Flamand is a film maker and former member of the
Instituto Cubano del Arte y la Industria Cinematografica (ICAIC), Cuban
Institute of Art and the Cinema Industry, from which he reportedly
resigned in mid-1990 after criticizing government policies. Jorge Crespo
Diaz is a lawyer who works as a legal adviser to several unofficial
human rights groups. He is also said to be a member of an unofficial
group called Arte y Derecho (AR-DE), Art and Rights.

The other seven people listed above, all of them members of an
unofficial opposition group called Criterio Alternativo, Alternative
View, have been tried and convicted and are serving their sentences in
various prisons, most of them far away from their families. Amnesty
International considers them to be PRISONERS OF CONSCIENCE.

Maria Elena Cruz Varela, the President of Criterio Alternativo, is
serving a two-year sentence for "asociacion ilicita", illegal
association, and "defamacion", defamation, in Combinado del Sur Prison
in Matanzas Province.

Fernando Velasquez Medina, sentenced to two years' imprisonment on the
same charges is believed to be in Alambradas de Manacas Prison, Villa
Clara Province.

Pastor Herrera Macuran, sentenced to sixteen months' imprisonment for
illegal association and "clandestinidad de impresos", clandestine
printing, is believed to be in Alambradas de Manacas Prison, Villa Clara
province.

Jorge Pomar Montalvo, sentenced to two years' imprisonment for illegal
association, and defamation, is said to be in Ariza Prison in Cienfuegos
Province.

Gabriel Aguado Chavez is serving an eighteen-month sentence for illegal
association and clandestine printing, in Agu"ica Prison, Matanzas
Province.

Hubert Luis Matos Sanchez, also sentenced to sixteen months on the same
charges, is reportedly in Guanajay Prison, Havana Province.

Eliecer Aguilar Lopez, sentenced to one year's imprisonment for illegal
association, is said to be in Taco-Taco Prison, Pinar del Rio Province.

No further action is required by Urgent Action participants for these
seven prisoners or for Elvira Baro. Thank you to all those who sent
appeals on their behalf.

FURTHER RECOMMENDED ACTION:
-urging the immediate and unconditional release of Marco Antonio Abad
Flamand and Jorge Crespo Diaz on the grounds that they are prisoners of
conscience detained solely for peacefully expressing their political
beliefs;
-requesting that they be humanely treated while in detention and allowed
full access to family and lawyers.

APPEALS TO
1) President:
   Dr. Fidel Castro Ruz				Su Excelencia/
   Presidente del Consejo de Estado		Your Excellency
     y del Consejo de Ministros
   Ciudad de la Habana, Cuba
   Telegrams: President Castro, Havana, Cuba

2) Minister of the Interior:			
   General Abelardo Colome Ibarra             	Sen~or Ministro/ 
   Ministro del Interior			Dear Minister
   Ministerio del Interior
   Plaza de la Revolucion
   Cuidad de la Habana, Cuba
   Telegrams: Ministro Interior, Havana, Cuba

3) Head of Investigation at the Department of State Security:
   Coronel Adalberto Rabeiro Garcia		Sen~or Coronel/
   Jefe de Investigaciones			Dear Sir
   Departamento de Seguridad del Estado
   Villa Marista
   Ciudad de la Habana, Cuba
   Telegrams: Coronel Rabeiro, Villa Marista, Havana, Cuba

4) Attorney General:
   Dr. Ramon de la Cruz Ochoa			Sen~or Fiscal General/
   Fiscal General de la Republica		Dear Attorney General
   Fiscalia General de la Republica
   San Rafael 3
   Ciudad de la Habana, Cuba
   Telegrams: Fiscal General, Havana, Cuba
   Telexes: 511456 FISGE

5) Minister of Justice:
   Dr. Carlos Amat Fores			Sen~or Ministro/
   Ministro de Justicia				Dear Minister
   Ministerio de Justicia
   Calle 0 No. 216, 8vo piso
   e/ 23 y Humboldt, Vedado
   Ciudad de la Habana, Cuba
   Telegrams: Ministro Justicia, Havana, Cuba
   Telexes: 511331 MINJU CU

COPIES TO:
Information Bureau of the Human Rights Movement in Cuba
3901 S.W. 109 Ave, Apt B10
Miami
FL 33165
USA

and to diplomatic representatives of Cuba in your country.
[I posted the addresses of Cuban Embassies around the world 3 days ago.
L. Nun~ez]

PLEASE SEND APPEALS IMMEDIATELY

-Please take action as soon as you receive this URGENT ACTION appeal.
Carefully read the recommended actions. If possible, send a telegram,
telex, fax or express letter immediately to one or more of the addresses
given. Other letters can be sent afterwards.
-Telegrams and letters should be brief and courteous. Stress that your
concern for human rights is not in any way politically partisan. Refer
to relevant provisions in international law, such as the United Nations
Universal Declaration of Human Rights:
   Article 3-- "Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of
                person."
   Article 5-- "No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel,
	        inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment."
   Article 9-- "No one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest, detention
	        or exile."
-The name of Amnesty International may be used, although letters written
in a private or personal capacity may be more effective.
-Copies of appeals should be sent to relevant diplomatic representatives
in your country.
-In Urgent Action cases, Amnesty International has to act rapidly on
behalf of victims of grave human rights violations. An appeal is issued
when Amnesty International believes it has received reliable and
accurate information in such cases. It is not always possible to verify
all details independently and in some instances the situation outlined
in the appeal may change. Urgent Action participants are always notified
of any significant new facts.
-Copies of any replies received from government authorities should be
sent immediately to your section's Urgent Action coordinator or direct
to the Campaign and Membership Department of the International
Secretariat. If appropriate, thank the official who has replied and ask
to be kept informed about the case.


Amnesty International is an independent worldwide movement working for
the international protection of human rights. It seeks the release of
men and women detained anywhere because of their beliefs, colour, sex,
ethnic origin, language or religious creed, provided they have not used
or 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 and torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading
treatment or punishment of all prisoners.

--------------------end of Urgent Action attachment--------------------

  Please help Ms. Cruz Varela and the rest of the prisoners of
conscience by sending appeals to the addresses given by AI above and the
Cuban Embassies. Try to follow the recommended directions given by AI
when appealing, especially the courtesy part and political disassociation.
A letter to one of those officials expressing association to any political
group that the Cuban government considers hostile and asking for the release
of a specific prisoner, may result in a graver treatment for the detainee.
  Thank you to all who have participated in this campaign, and we invite
others to join us. I'll keep you posted on further developments.

-- 
| Lazaro Nun~ez Figueiral         ||  !Lloran sobre el Mar de Cuba	     |
| Memorial University of Nfld.    ||  enormes flores bermejas;	             |
| St. John's, Terranova, Canada.  ||  sobre la isla perdida	   	     |
| lazaro@odie.cs.mun.ca           ||  el aire amarillo tiembla! - F.G. Lorca |
Newsgroups: soc.culture.latin-america,soc.culture.lebanon,soc.culture.magyar,soc.culture.mexican,soc.culture.misc