As in past years, PIN will build a symbolic Cuban prison cell on the Square of the Republic in the centre of the Czech capital, on Tuesday, March 18, 2008,and distinguished Czech personalities, symbolically dressed in prisoner’s clothes, will ‘serve time‘ for each of the Cuban political prisoners. In the evening a march from the cell will take place similar to marches carried out by the Women in White in Havana. Together participants will move towards the nearby St Havel‘s church on Havel’s square (Havelském náměstí) where a mass will be served for the prisoners and their families.
PONTIS and People in Peril
On March 17, the Pontis Foundation and People in Peril are going to organize a public event at the 5th anniversary of the massive crackdown of Cuban civil society. Taking Damas de blanco who march trough the streets of Havana every Sunday as an example, a solidary march in the streets of Bratislava will be organized for the support of Ladies in white. It will lead from Namestie Slobody (the Freedom Square) to A4 zero space club, where a new movie about Damas de blanco by Ivana Milosevic will be screened. Several Slovak celebrities pledged their support to the event.
Christian Solidarity Worldwide
On March 1st, Christian Solidarity Worldwide initiated a campaign of prayer and protest focused on Cuba's political prisoners and the lack of religious freedom in Cuba's prisons in particular. The Cuban government systematically violates the religious rights of political prisoners, in contravention of the UN Standard Minimum Rules on the Treatment of Prisoners, by arbitrarily denying them access to clergy, confiscating bibles and other religious literature and materials (including rosaries), and prohibiting them from attending religious services. These policies appear to be aimed specifically at political prisoners who are openly Christian (both Catholic and Protestant). More information is available on CSWs website along with a downloadable version of the entire report.
International Society for Human Rights
International Society for Human Rights
On March 18, members of the ISHR demonstrated in Berlin in front of the Cuban Embassy. Among them were members of the Movement for the Liberation of Cuba, Cuba-Democratic Future, and ’s largest student organization, the Christian Democratic Student Group, which is aligned with the Christian Democratic Union Party.
These activists wanted the German public to become aware of the political prisoners in and the destiny that awaits them. Particularly important are the victims of March 18, 2003, who were arrested and imprisoned five years ago because of their human rights work.
Romania joins the chain of solidarity event in Europe
Pontis Foundation with the cooperation of the Center for International Studies based in Bucharest organizes a public event at the 5th anniversary of the massive crackdown of the civil society in Cuba. The event will take place in the Institute for Social Dialogue in the centre of Bucharest on Wednesday, March 19, at 5 pm. The goal of the event is to raise the awareness of Romanian public about the situation in Cuba in 2003 (massive repression) and in 2008, introduce the main opposition leaders and inform the participants about the situation of human rights on the island. Moreover, the experience of Slovakia (NGOs and government) will be shared.
At the event, the movie Cuba Libre: El Mayor Deseo will be screened, followed by a public discussion, and a small reception. This event is organized as a part of Pontis’ advocacy project in CEE countries.
KIC (Christian Democratic International Center) and SILC (Swedish International Liberal Centre)
KIC and SILC arranged a seminar in the Swedish Parlament, which was open to the public, to draw attention to the anniversary of the Black Spring in 2003. The programme included:
Minister of EU Affairs Cecilia Malmström (liberal) speaking about the importance of showing solidarity with the political prisoners of Cuba. Minister for International Development Cooperation Gunilla Carlsson (liberal-conservative) discussing the current situation in Cuba.State Secretary Jakob Forssmed (Christian democrat) giving a presentation about the democracy movement in Cuba.Maeliz Orrego Rodriguez, from SILC,talked about some of the released prisoners that now live in Spain and shows taped interview. Eniel Bosch, vice president of the association Misceláneas de Cuba spoke about the information monopoly in Cuba. The event finished with a screening of the short film the Dissidents, which provides more background about the Black Spring.
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2010-02-09 / Esteban Israel (Reuters)
Cuba travel bill buried in political agenda
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A bipartisan drive in Congress to end a Cold War-era travel ban on Cuba was buried during the healthcare reform debate but its supporters hope to dig it out this year.
Sponsors of two bills allowing Americans to travel freely to Cuba, introduced last year in the Senate and the House of Representatives, say a flood of dollars from the pro-embargo Cuban-American lobby might also have played a part.
"Support has not waned but it's clear that the debate over healthcare has consumed the first year of the (Obama) administration and has had a similar impact in terms of congressional action," Representative Bill Delahunt, a Democrat and one of the authors of the bill, told Reuters.
Co-sponsor Jeff Flake, a Republican representative, said the votes were there to pass the Freedom to Travel to Cuba Act this year but the Democratic majority in the House was divided over whether to take it to the floor for a vote. ...more
2010-02-09 / AFP - Agence France-Presse
Cuba releases all dissidents arrested last week
HAVANA — Cuba has released the last five of a group of 35 dissidents it arrested last week for demonstrating on behalf of a conscientious objector, a Cuban human rights group said.
"The last three dissidents that were jailed since Wednesday were freed on Sunday" and another two were released Friday and Saturday, Committee for Human Rights and National Reconciliation (CCDHRN) director Elizardo Sanchez told AFP.
Cuban police arrested and jailed 35 political dissidents in the eastern city of Camaguey, when they were marching in support of Orlando Zapata, whom Amnesty International has declared a prisoner of conscience. He has been in prison since 2003.
The protesters were briefly jailed, then 30 were released.
The demonstrators were protesting "the cruel and inhuman treatment" of Zapata. The CCDHRN said it was concerned over Zapata's health, and called for his unconditional release.
In its January annual report, the group said that there are 201 political prisoners in Cuba.
Authorities on the communist island insist there are no political prisoners, but rather US-financed "mercenaries" jailed for threatening Cuban national security.
2010-02-08 / Marc Frank (Reuters)
Cuba looks to suburban farms to boost food output
CAMAGUEY, Cuba (Reuters) - Cuba has launched an ambitious project to ring urban areas with thousands of small farms in a bid to reverse the country's long agricultural decline and ease its chronic economic woes.
The five-year plan calls for growing fruits and vegetables and raising livestock in 4-mile-wide (6.5 kilometer) rings around 150 of Cuba's cities and towns, with the exception of the capital Havana.
The island's Communist authorities hope suburban farming will make food cheaper and more abundant, cut transportation costs, be less reliant on machinery and encourage urban dwellers to leave bureaucratic jobs for more productive labor. ...more
People In Need @2007 / Sokolská 18, 120 00 Praha 2, E-mail: cubalog@peopleinneed.cz People in Need (PIN) is a Czech organization that provides relief aid and development assistance, while working to defend human rights and democratic freedom.
