In addition to these prisoners of conscience, Amnesty International continues to be concerned at the severe harassment to which dissidents, including journalists, members of political organizations and human rights advocates, are subjected.
Repression of dissent has a long history in Cuba.
In response to this argument, Amnesty International has maintained that all states, irrespective of any external threat, the political character of the government concerned or any other situation-specific factors, are under obligation to fulfil the duties laid out in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, including the duty to respect fundamental freedoms. Therefore, Amnesty International protests against the human rights violations covered by its mandate in all countries where they occur. In Cuba, repression of dissent is legitimised by the Constitution and the Penal Code. Some offences against state security, such as ''propaganda enemiga'', ''enemy propaganda'' , as well as offences against authority, such as ''desacato'', ''disrespect'', have been widely applied to silence critics. At times dissidents have been convicted of criminal offences, believed to have been fabricated in order to discredit them or their organization or in retaliation for peaceful expression of their beliefs.