SUNRISE IN HAVANA: on hunger strike

Showing posts with label on hunger strike. Show all posts

Saturday, March 13, 2010

Guillermo "Coco" Fariñas, Photos

Friday, February 26, 2010

3 More Cuban Political Prisoners Have Started a Hunger Strike

From the blog Uncomon Sence:

Three Cuban dissidents — the prisoners of conscience Eduardo Díaz Fleitas and

Diosdado González Marrero, and independent journalist Guillermo "Coco" Fariñas — have started hunger strike protests against the Castro dictatorship and to demand freedom for Cuban political prisoners, according to t

he Twitter feed for the independent Cuban magazine Convivencia. The three man have been in prison since what is known as "Black Spring of 2003", when the regime cracked down on dissidents and arrested 75 men and gave them lengthy prison terms with bogus accusations.

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Dr. Darsi Ferrer on Hunger Strike

Darsi began a hunger strike today, 13 October 2009, in protest against the arbitrariness of the Cuban government, which has unjustly imprisoned breaking your own laws in the country.

He is accused of abetting the alleged crime of which by its nature falls into the category of summary criminal proceedings, which is equivalent to that should have held the trial in less than 20 days after being charged, given the low hazard of crime and the low level of personal items occupied.

Three months ago that the prosecution was applied as a precautionary measure custody, regardless of the criminal procedure law provides that pretrial detention is only applicable when the offense is alarmed, has high incidence in the territory, or there is suspicion that the defendant intended to evade justice. None of these conditions are satisfied in the case of Darsi.

The defense lawyer urged a change of contract measure Darsi from the 16th of September 2009 and has received no response to date, however, the criminal procedure law clearly specifies that the prosecution has an obligation to respond to proposals measuring changes in a period of 5 days.

The Criminal Procedure Law provides that the pretrial phase of the case of the accused is done in the shortest possible time, and determines a maximum term limit of 60 days for delivery to the Court, extended only in cases very well justified. After 78 days the record still keep him in training Darsi although there is nothing to investigate and it is unknown when they returned to Court for ending of prosecution, which has no justification.

Moreover, his treatment in prison Darsi is discriminatory, which worsened after the newspaper El Nuevo Herald, published its report "Inside the Valle Grande prison, which puts their safety at greater risk within the prison, as the repressive apparatus of state security rather than punish the officials and guards reported for committing serious crimes in jail, to harass control prisoners they relate to Darsi or simply be approached. They have already punished for that reason inmates Eliecer Fuentes, Alejandro Gainza, Delfin Gonzalez and Tamayo Quiala, others are being investigated or have been harassed. Darsi specifically to force him to live in crowded quarters with common prisoners and prisoners to talk with him punished.

When he was arrested, police intervened in the house of an alleged complaint of construction materials illegal precedence. We seized on the false registration, 2 bags of cement, some iron strips and planks torn from the wall and took 2 windows of the hallway inside the house. What is not understood is why did not care about the bag of cement and sand and stone dust we have in since a year ago to public view? Why only 2 windows ripped out and left the other 4 and the door of the house, if all are equal?

The government's intention is very clear, keep Darsi in jail for political reasons, without any concern for the slightest regard for their own laws.

Authorities blamed the government of Cuba for what happen to my husband, Dr. Darsi Ferrer Ramírez, and I ask the international community to help us and demand that once you finish the injustice and arbitrariness that he is suffering .

Greetings and God bless.

Yusnaimy Jorge soca.Activista for Human Rights.

Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Amnistia Internacional-Fear for Safety of Antúnez

PUBLIC AI Index: AMR 25/003/2009

30 March 2009

UA 89/09 Fear for safety

CUBA Jorge Luis García Pérez, usually known as Antúnez (m), activist

Iris Tamara Pérez Aguilera (f), his wife

Carlos Michael Morales Rodriguez (m), journalist

Diosiris Santana Pérez (m)

Ernesto Mederos Arrozarena (m)

Activist and political dissident Jorge Luis García Pérez, usually known as Antúnez, began a hunger strike on 17 February, in protest at the human rights situation in Cuba. Since 17 March, police and State Security officers have surrounded his house, threatening him, his wife Tamara Pérez Aguilera, Carlos Michael Morales, Diosiris Santana Pérez and Ernesto Mederos Arrozarena who joined him in the hunger strike. All five are in grave danger.

Antúnez and his companions are carrying out their protest at his house, in the town of Placetas, 300km east of the capital, Havana. They are calling on the authorities to stop the "repression and torture" of Antúnez's brother-in-law, Mario Alberto Pérez Aguilera, who is imprisoned at Santa Clara Provincial Prison. They are also calling for the release of political prisoners, the ratification ofhuman rights treaties and provision of adequate housing to all Cubans. On 15 March, with their health failing, the group switched from a hunger strike to a restricted diet, eating only fruit and drinking fruit juice.

Since 17 March, at least 20 state security and police officers have been keeping guard in front of Antúnez’s house and have cordoned off the street, stopping friends and relatives trying to visit Antúnez. No one has been allowed to approach the house. Antúnez’s brother has tried to visit him several times, and been detained every time.

According to Antúnez, the officers keeping guard have shouted, "Antúnez, if you don't quit this protest you're going to die" (Antúnez o te mueres o suspendes esta protesta). He told Amnesty International that on the night of 25 March, pepper spray was fired into the house through an open window. On other nights, thehouse has been pelted with stones, and a pile of rubbish has been dumped at the house entrance.

Carlos Michael Morales and another man who had been taking part in the hunger strike were arrested on 2 March at Placetas Hospital after they went to seek medical treatment. Carlos Michael Morales was given eight days' house arrest, after which he managed to return to Antúnez's house to resume his protest.

Antúnez told Amnesty International that "the siege to my home prevents us from getting almost any of the provisions we need to continue our fast, or any medicine" (This constant harassment outside my house, keeps us from going out to aquire the necessary fluids needed to continue with this liquid fast, as well as aquiring medications).

Antúnez is a well-known dissident, who was released in April 2007 after 17 years in prison. He had been detained in 1990 and sentenced to five years on a charge of "enemy propaganda." In May 1993 he was sentenced to an overall total of 15 years' imprisonment on new charges of "enemy propaganda," "attempted sabotage" and "illegal possession of a weapon," all supposedly committed while he was briefly at liberty after escaping in October 1992. His sentence was later increased for "attempted escape".

Rock musician Ciro Díaz and photographer Claudio Fuentes went to Placetas on 24 March to visit Antúnez, but were arrested, apparently for "public disorder." They were both released without charge the next day, and brought back to Havana by State Security officials.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Freedom of expression, assembly and association are severely limited in Cuba. Those who attempt to express their views, organize meetings or form organizations that contradict government policy or the aims of the state are likely to be punished by imprisonment, loss of employment, harassment or intimidation. Political dissidents are routinely detained for around 24 hours, during which they are interrogated.

RECOMMENDED ACTION: Please send appeals to arrive as quickly as possible, in Spanish or your own language:

- urging the authorities to stop the harassment and intimidation of Antúnez, Iris Tamara Pérez Aguillera, Carlos Michael Morales Rodriguez, Diosiris Santana Pérez and Ernesto Mederos Arrozarena, and allow them to come and go from their house freely, without fear of reprisals or arbitrary detention;

- calling on the authorities to allow those who want to visit them to do so without harassment;

- calling on the authorities to reform the laws, regulations and administrative practices which curtail freedom of expression, association and assembly.