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Cuba: Heavy Sentences Are "Totally Unjustified" |
Current rating: 6 |
by Human Rights Watch via Joe Futrelle
Email: futrelle (nospam) shout.net (verified) |
08 Apr 2003
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The heavy sentences imposed against non-violent Cuban dissidents are unjustified and draconian, Human Rights Watch said today. Defendants received sentences ranging from twelve to twenty-five years of imprisonment. |
(New York, April 7, 2003) The heavy sentences imposed against non-violent Cuban dissidents are unjustified and draconian, Human Rights Watch said today. Defendants received sentences ranging from twelve to twenty-five years of imprisonment.
"These harsh prison sentences are totally unjustified," said José Miguel Vivanco, executive director of the Americas Division of Human Rights Watch. "Cuba is flouting fundamental human rights norms."
The United Nations Commission on Human Rights, now holding its annual six-week session in Geneva, will be examining the human rights situation in Cuba. Four Latin American countries (Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Peru and Uruguay) have drafted a resolution on Cuba's human rights situation.
Over the past eleven years, the U.N. Commission has passed ten resolutions criticizing Cuba's violations of human rights. The language of this year's resolution is considerably weaker than that of past years, however. Notably, it contains no reference to the nature of the abuses under examination.
"It's perverse that there's a massive crackdown occurring in Cuba just at the moment that the United Nations is examining Cuba's human rights record," said Vivanco. "The Commission must condemn these abuses, and do so strongly and unequivocally."
Human Rights Watch has confirmed that at least twelve defendants have been sentenced, including Marta Beatriz Roque Cabello, age 56; Raul Rivero, age 57; Hector Palacios, age 62; Nelson Molinet Espino; Nelson Alberto Aguilar Rodríguez; Ricardo González; Oscar Espinosa Chepe; Hector Maseda; Oscar Alfonso Valdes; Marcelo Lopez and Marcelo Cano.
Marta Beatriz Roque, an independent economist, received a twenty-year sentence. Roque had previously spent nearly three years in prison for publishing an analytic paper calling for political reforms.
Nelson Molinet Espino and Nelson Alberto Aguiar, two dissidents who were tried together with Beatriz Roque, received twelve-year sentences.
Raul Rivero, a noted poet, writer and independent journalist, received a twenty-year sentence. Other sentenced journalists include Ricardo González Alfonso, who worked as a correspondent for Reporters Sans Frontičres, and who received a twenty-year sentence. Oscar Espinosa Chepe, an economist, and Hector Maseda Gutierrez, a journalist, also received twenty-year sentences.
Opposition leader Hector Palacios, for whom prosecutors had originally recommended a life sentence, was sentenced to twenty-five years of imprisonment for treason and subversion. Palacios is one of the leaders of the Varela Project, a high-profile reformist effort.
Opposition activist Oscar Alfonso Valdes reportedly received an eighteen-year sentence.
Marcelo Lopez and Marcelo Cano, human rights activists, received eighteen and fifteen year sentences, respectively.
The ongoing trials are the latest development in a massive wave of repression that began on March 18. Approximately 80 people have been arrested and detained since the crackdown began, including prominent dissidents, human rights activists, independent journalists, independent unionists, and directors of independent libraries.
State-run television has accused the detainees of "provocations" and "subversive activities."
One of the ongoing trials is that of Oscar Biscet, a doctor and human rights activist. He was arrested in December 2002, prior to the current crackdown. His arrest came just over a month after his release from prison after serving a three-year-sentence for a peaceful protest. Prosecutors are reportedly demanding a life sentence in his case.
The Cuban courts are using extremely summary procedures in these cases. As a general matter, the courts lack independence and fair procedures. But for the current prosecutions, aggravating these problems, the courts are using a so-called facilitated procedure, which, under articles 479 and 480 of the code of criminal procedure, should be applied only in "exceptional circumstances." |
Comments
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JOE, I AM A STUPID IDIOT! |
by NAX AKA DAN Disinfo
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: -3
08 Apr 2003
Modified: 09:11:52 PM |
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Human Rights Watch is CIA propaganda do you believe that bull shit if so you must be retarded. The people locked up by Castro where CIA Spies! Caught in the act of sabotage against Cuban infrastructure planting bombs and shit, if you want to talk a bought outrageous imprisonment, look what the bush-nazis are doing in Guantanamo occupation base or what about the five Cubans that where given life for gathering info on right wing cuban scum in miami that had carried out terrorist bombings in Cuba and where planning more face it america is a fascist police state that enslaves its people and goes around the world robbing and murdering little old ladies around the world and Cuba is a cool place that cares about there people and is doing a great job of beating back the fascist amer-nazis scum from the north |
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Re: Cuba: Heavy Sentences Are |
by Joe Futrelle
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 3
08 Apr 2003
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Amnesty International is also very concerned about these arrests, and has issued a report on the crackdown.
http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGAMR250092003?open&of=ENG-CUB |
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Re: Cuba: Heavy Sentences Are |
by Joe Futrelle
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
09 Apr 2003
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The U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights is also concerned that the trials denied the accused due process.
http://www.unhchr.ch/huricane/huricane.nsf/view01/A1AFC711E5B36D06C1256D030051DB09?opendocument |
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Amnesty International Is Controled By The CIA!!! |
by DAN Disinfo
SMELL THE FASCISM (unverified) |
Current rating: -2
09 Apr 2003
Modified: 08:01:33 PM |
"Amnesty International is deeply concerned about the mounting toll of civilian casualties in Iraq and the reported use of cluster bombs by US forces in heavily populated areas."
WHAT KIND OF WEAK BS IS THAT?????? RIGHT OFF THE FRONT OF THEIR WEB PAGE.
Did it ever occur to those Brain-dead people at AI to say
Bombing of civilians and jornalists is STATE SPOSORED MURDER???
HOW BOUGHT CALLING THE PEOPLE IN CHARGE OF THIS MURDER MACHINE CRIMINALS AND CALLING FOR THEIR ARREST PROSECUTION???
NO THEY WONT CAUSE Amnesty International IS A CIA MOUTH PIECE LIKE ML THE CENSOR
HINT FOR ML YOUR CENSORING ACTS DONT CHANGE THE TRUTH NOR DOES YOUR ATEMPT TO HIDE THE TRUTH CHANGE THE CONSEQUNCES OF YOUR OR YOUR MASTERS ACTIONS
http://web.amnesty.org
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Re: Amnesty International And Iraq |
by Joe Futrelle
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
10 Apr 2003
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Amnesty International has a 10-point action plan on human rights and the Iraq situation.
http://web.amnesty.org/pages/irq-190303-appeal-eng
It seems to me that Cuba is following the U.S.'s lead in cracking down on dissent. Look for more of this around the world as the U.S.'s increasingly totalitarian domestic policy provides cover for governments everywhere to conduct witchhunts against their enemies. |
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Shameful Revenge Against Gerardo Hernández |
by HAQAR plagiarized by DAN Disinfo (but it shows another side of Cuban issues)
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
10 Apr 2003
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Gerardo, one of the Cuban five political prisoners of the empire, was confident reason would prevail at some level of the North American justice, disregarding political prejudices and revenge.
However, Granma Daily reports on this day, more than a year has passed since the trial was held and far from finding equal and partial approach so much evoked by the North American system, he has always faced with hate, lies, revenge and arbitrariness.
Few days are left for the case to be introduced at Atlanta Court; he has been kept confined for a month- with little explanation- in the prison’s box, a special housing unit at Lompoc jail, California, known among prisoners as the "hole".
Gerardo was able to get out from the hole, thanks to solidarity and support from diverse parts of the world including North American territory. Dozens of thousands of people claimed to put an end to such a cruel confinement and justice be served in the case of the Cuban five that were preventing terrorist actions and sentenced to long counts in North American prisons.
Gerardo slept in a concrete bed with permanent electric light so he was not able to tell whether it was day or night, and that is how Gerardo is serving his unfair sentence after going through a tricky trial held between December 2000 and June 2001.
Two life sentences plus 18 years were ruled for Gerardo’s "fault" that was nothing but to protect his people from terrorists and killers, this was widely proved during his plea, but some prefer to insist on punishment on behalf the North American justice as if Gerardo’s crime were the worst of all against mankind.
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Re: Cuba: Heavy Sentences Are |
by Joe Futrelle
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 1
11 Apr 2003
Modified: 12:24:41 PM |
> but it shows another side of Cuban issues
The logic here is flawed. The claim is that there are "sides" to this issue. One "side" is that Cuba is committing human rights abuses against Cuban dissidents. The other "side" is that the U.S. is committing human rights abuses against Cuban dissidents.
It seems to me that there are really two sides that matter here. On one side are Cuban dissidents, and on the other side are governments (in this case Cuba and the U.S.) that are abusing their human rights. Rather than take sides between the human-rights-abusing governments, it seems to me that we should be taking the side of the dissidents and calling for all governments to restore to them the legal protections everyone deserves. |
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Press Crackdown In Cuba Draws Protests |
by World Association of Newspapers
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
11 Apr 2003
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The World Association of Newspapers and World Editors Forum have asked Cuban President Fidel Castro to end a crackdown on government critics that has led to the arrests of at least 20 journalists, including award-winning Cuba Press journalist and poet Raul Rivero.
In a letter to the Cuban President, the Paris-based WAN and the WEF said the arrests were a clear breach of the journalists' rights. "We urge you to take all necessary steps to ensure that in future Cuba fully respects international standards of freedom of expression," said WAN and the WEF, the global organisations of the world's press.
The letter said:
"We are writing on behalf of the World Association of Newspapers and the World Editors Forum, which represent 18,000 publications in 100 countries, to express our serious concern at the arrest of some 20 independent journalists, including Raul Rivero.
According to reports, about 20 independent journalists have been arrested in the latest crackdown on government critics, including award-winning Cuba Press journalist and poet Raul Rivero. Mr Rivero was arrested on 20 March by police, who also searched his home. In addition to the 20 journalists, some 30 other dissidents have also been detained since the crackdown began on 18 March.
The authorities have accused those detained of being 'traitors' and 'employees in the pay' of the USA. A statement published on 19 March in the official daily Granma said that the dissidents would be tried. They face up to 20 years in prison.
Those arrested reportedly also include independent journalists Jorge Olivera, Ricardo Gonzalez Alfonso, Jose Luis Garca Paneque, Omar Rodriguez Saludes, Pedro Arguelles Moran, Edel Jose Garca, Jose Ramon Gabriel Castillo, Julio Cesar Galvez, and Victor Rolando Arroyo.
We respectfully remind you that the jailing of the journalists is a clear breach of their right to freedom of expression, which is guaranteed by numerous international conventions. Furthermore, the United Nations Commission on Human Rights considers that 'detention, as punishment for the peaceful expression of an opinion, is one of the most reprehensible ways to enjoin silence and, as a consequence, a grave violation of human rights'.
We respectfully call on you to ensure that all jailed journalists are immediately released and that all charges against them are dropped. We urge you to take all necessary steps to ensure that in future Cuba fully respects international standards of freedom of expression."
WAN defends and promotes press freedom world-wide. It represents 18,000 newspapers; its membership includes 71 national newspaper associations, individual newspaper executives in 100 countries, 13 news agencies and nine regional and world-wide press groups.
The WEF is the division of WAN that represents senior news executives.
Inquiries to: Larry Kilman, Director of Communications, WAN, 25 rue d'Astorg, 75008 Paris France. Tel: +33 1 47 42 85 00. Fax: +33 1 47 42 49 48. Mobile: +33 6 10 28 97 36. E-mail: lkilman (at) wan.asso.fr.
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Amnesty On USA's Abuse Of "combatants" |
by Joe Futrelle
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
12 Apr 2003
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Amnesty International is also concerned about the U.S.'s treatment of "combatants" in the WOT, which violates the Geneva Conventions. AI points out in this report that the U.S. is applying a double standard when it insists that other governments follow these conventions wrt POW's.
http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGAMR510452003?open&of=ENG-USA |
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75 CIA Operatives Face 6-28 Years Prison In Cuba |
by Nelie AKA DAN Disinfo
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
12 Apr 2003
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More of your tax dollars down the tube--
HAVANA-spy-router- People of Cuba sentanced 75 CIA assets this week,
All were convicted of treason for working with the CIA, AKA United fascist States, in a signal to the Bush administration that its spies will not be tolerated.
The operatives who has engaged in acts of sabotage in the past where routed-out around March 18, 2003. All were convicted of treason for working with the CIA to sabotage Cuba and its peaceful People.
The 75 CIA operatives had trials in courtrooms filled with people that where their peers, Cuban citizens that Witnessed their crimes had infiltrated the CIA cells testified against the prisoners and exhibited solid proof of CIA payments made and instructions for sabotage operations delivered to the defendants by the CIA made the trials open and shut cases after which they received sentences from 6 years to 28 years, with the average being 20 years.
Cuban Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque pointed to this evidence showing the saboteurs where organized and paid by the United Fascist States to further its more than 40-year-old effort to take control of the Cuban People and steal more of their land and dignity "We have the duty and right to defend our country's independence," he said,
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