Political Prisoners

Cuban Blogger Yoani Sanchez Arrested – Updated

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I just woke up out here on the left coast, checked Twitter, to see this:

Cubanet @CubanetNoticias HablemosPress: Yoani Sanchez, Reinaldo Escobar y Agustin Diaz presos en Dpto Instruccion de #BayamoCuba desde ayer 6pm.

Capitol Hill Cubans:

Yoani Sanchez Has Been Arrested

Prominent Cuban blogger Yoani Sanchez has been arrested by the Castro regime, along along with her husband Reinaldo Escobar and other pro-democracy activists.

Yoani was arrested today in the city of Bayamo, where she traveled to attend the sham “trial” of Spanish politician Angel Caromero, who the Castro regime has accused of vehicular manslaughter in the crash that killed Cuban pro-democracy leader Oswaldo Paya.

More “reform” you can’t believe in.

Update:  There’s more at Reuters, AFP, and Bloomberg Business Week,   but so far no mention of Yoani’s arrest at Huffington.

Yoani’s most recent updates on Twitter:

@yoanisanchez 4 #Cuba Y siguen kilometros y kilometros de #Marabu http://twitpic.com/b10xdu 12:22 PM – 4 Oct 12

@yoanisanchez #Cuba Otra vez tenemos que parar para fumigar el auto. Le pregunto al policia si es por el #Dengue y guarda silencio 11:35 AM – 4 Oct 12

@yoanisanchez #Cuba Hacia el este situacion epidemiologica se deteriora. Policias nos detiene el auto en #Camaguey para fumigar el interior del vehiculo 9:17 AM – 4 Oct 12

Update #2: No doubt Yoani’s arrest is about Today’s Sham Trial on Paya’s Death, which she was covering for Spain’s largest newspaper, El Pais.

I removed Update #3, there is no verification of Yoani’s release.

Obama’s Cuba’s policy fails to help the people

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As Carlos Eire concluded in his post on the DNC Cuba platform, the party remains firmly in solidarity with Castrolandia. There’s no mention of a dictatorship, and there’s no mention of political prisoners or the lack of freedom. Well platform this DNC, your policy is a failure.  The continuing increase in the number of political arrests and  the record number of Cubans trying to escape the Cuban state show just how well “the people” are doing.

Capitol Hill Cubans:

538 Political Arrests in August

 at 11:00 AM Tuesday, September 4, 2012

According to Cuban independent journalists (CIHPRESS), the Castro regime has conducted over 538 documented political arrests in the month of August 2012.

That brings its 2012 total to 3,636, which means it’s en route to shatter its 2011 year-long total of 3,835 political arrests.

More “reform” you can’t believe in.

Open letter to the directors of all accredited media in La Habana

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Dear Sir or Madam:

We write to you worried about the police and paramilitary harassment denounced from Banes, a small town in the Cuban province of Holguín, by Reina Luisa Tamayo. She is the mother of Orlando Zapata Tamayo the prisoner of conscience who died on 23 February after a prolonged hunger strike that up to its tragic and fatal outcome had little coverage in the international press.

Every Sunday, we receive, mostly through phone interviews broadcast by the US-based Radio Martí, the same report from Reina Luisa describing how she is beaten, insulted and how [the government directed mob] prevents her from going to the town’s church to pray for her son and the health of all Cuban political prisoners still in jail. The repressive organs of the Cuban regime also impede her to visit her son’s tomb.

It is surprising to us that despite the wide coverage dedicated to Cuban topics, your organization has not reported on this. We know of the limitations to movement within Cuba, but we also understand that any foreign reporter has the means and resources to travel to the Eastern part of the island and give an eyewitness report of what happens there, in front of Reina Luisa Tamayo’s home.

We do not wish to tell the media what they should do, but to share with you our concern for the life of a woman who has lost her son in unjust circumstances and is clamoring for the world’s help to avoid more deaths.

We, the promoters of the #OZT: I accuse the Cuban government Campaign that demands the unconditional and immediate release of all peaceful political prisoners in Cuba and the respect of all Cubans’ human rights; write to you because we know that the international press in Cuba not only bears witness to what happens there, but can also help prevent and stop harassment incidents like those suffered by the Ladies in White in March of this year.

We would also like to know if there is any kind of legal hindrance or of any other sort that prevents your reporter in La Habana from traveling to other regions of Cuba.

We thank you in advance for your reply.

Sincerely,

#OZT: I accuse the Cuban government Campaign

DIRECCIONES DE MEDIOS DE ESPAÑA:

escribanos@bbc.co.uk ( en “asunto” poner “mensaje para BBC Mundo)
cartasdirector@elpais.es
cartas.director@elmundo.es
cartas@abc.es
internacional@abc.es
internacional@elmundo.es
espanaexterior@efe.es
iberoamerica@europapress.es
noticias@europapress.es
director@libertaddigital.com
internacional@larazon.es

CONTACTO CON LA OFICINA PRINCIPAL DE AMNISTIA INTERNACIONAL DE ESPANA:
Esteban Beltrán- Director Amnistía Internacional – Sección Española
Dirección Secretariado Estatal
Fernando VI, 8, 1º izda.28004 Madrid España
Teléfono
+ 34 902 119 133
+ 34 91 310 12 77 (información general)
Fax
+ 34 91 319 53 34
Correo- e info@es.http://www.facebook.com/l/d02a0t3Xy_KBspVEkowL6dP3OuQ;amnesty.org
Para Asociarte a Amnistia Internacional: http://www.facebook.com/l/d02a02250XAqSzyb5guRJFqS1xw;www.es.amnesty.org/inicio/

En español abajo/In Spanish below

Read more

Fariñas clarifies position: Liberate all of them

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Guillermo Fariñas is one hell of a warrior, a modern day David armed with a will of steel and his very brave heart.

From #OZT:

Cuban independent journalist Guillermo Fariñas clarified that he will continue his already three month long hunger strike if the government of Raul Castro does not free “all” the political prisoners because his protest “is not just to achieve transfers” of prisoners to other penitentiaries [closer to their homes] but to “achieve the liberation of all of them.”

Petition to release Orlando Zapata Tamayo

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Please sign this petition by clicking HERE:

I would like to bring to your attention the case of Orlando Zapata Tamayo, an imprisoned Cuban and human rights advocate. On a hunger strike since December 3, 2009, for purely requesting some of his most basic human rights, it appears Zapata Tamayo is on the brink of death, and we are requesting he receive the best medical attention possible immediately.

I am deeply concerned by recent reports of the substandard conditions of medical attention that Zapata Tamayo has received, as well as the conditions of his detention. He was reportedly deprived of water for 16 days by prison officials.

I strongly urge you to order the release of Orlando Zapata Tamayo and all other individuals who have been arrested and convicted on the basis of their peaceful political activities and their efforts to promote and protect basic human rights in Cuba.

According to the 1998 UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, which Cuba actively participated in drafting and passing, all persons have the right to effective access to participation in the government of their country and in the conduct of public affairs. The Declaration also provides that everyone has the right “freely to publish, impart or disseminate to others views, information and knowledge on all human rights and fundamental freedoms.” The important work of Cuban human rights defenders should be recognized by the government and they should be supported rather than persecuted.

While they remain in detention, I urge you to ensure that Orlando Zapata Tamayo is not subjected to further abuse and that his conditions of detention meet basic international standards. International human rights law requires that all persons held in detention are treated with humanity and dignity and that they are not subjected to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment. The Cuban government should ensure the application of the UN Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners and the UN Body of Principles for the Protection of all Persons Under Any Form of Detention or Imprisonment, which further elaborate the basic standards to be achieved in ensuring respect for the rights of detainees.

I will continue to monitor these cases closely and appreciate your immediate attention to this important matter.

Petition:

We, CAUSA: Cubans United for a Free Cuba, call on the Cuban government to release Orlando Zapata Tamayo from prison.

Read more about Orlando Tamayo here, and in español here.