Helping To Promote Democracy Today

                                         
             
                                      Map of Prisoners

This is an excerpt from an Amnesty International report published today and
available at: http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGAMR250172003
This excerpt describes the major dissident groups and gives a short synopsis
of the case of each of the 75 detainees, designating them all as prisoners
of conscience.

5. Individual case summaries: the faces of the dissident movement
The 75 dissidents caught up in the crackdown represent all facets of the
dissident movement in Cuba. They include longtime activists, some well-known
and some less so. Below are summaries, based on past Amnesty International
work and the available information, of their backgrounds and involvement in
the dissident movement. Where available, the summaries conclude with an
overview of the accusations against them in the trial documents. The text
box includes descriptions of some important initiatives in the recent
history of peaceful dissent in Cuba, which may be helpful in tracing the
activities of some of the individuals targeted in the crackdown.
The case summaries below have been arranged alphabetically. The 75
individuals described were all arrested in the March crackdown, and have
subsequently been sentenced to harsh prison terms following summary trials.
Amnesty International considers them to be prisoners of conscience, detained
solely for the peaceful exercise of fundamental freedoms.
The information contained in these summaries is current as of this document
going to print.
The Concilio Cubano, Cuban Council, was a forum of some 140 unofficial
groups including human rights groups, political opposition groups, and
groups of journalists, lawyers, women, young people, economists, engineers,
ecologists and trade unionists. It was established in October 1995 to work
for political change through peaceful means. Its aims included an amnesty
for political prisoners; respect for the Constitution; fulfillment of Cuba's
international human rights obligations; lifting of labour restrictions; and
movement towards more free and open direct elections.(98)
Concilio Cubano members were subjected to a government crackdown in late
1995 and early 1996; a planned national meeting scheduled for 24 February
1996 was eventually banned by the authorities.(99) Scores of people were
arbitrarily detained; though most were released shortly thereafter, four
were sentenced to prison terms and were considered prisoners of conscience
by Amnesty International.
The "Todos Unidos," "All Together" movement of dissident groups was formed
in the runup to the 1999 Ibero-American Summit. Their Joint Declaration on
the occasion of the Summit was, over the next years, signed by a growing
number of individuals representing a significant number of dissident groups
across the island. In March 2001, 117 "Todos Unidos" signatories issued a
proclamation in favour of the Proyecto Varela referendum movement (see
below), and "Todos Unidos" members were instrumental in gathering signatures
and support for Proyecto Varela. In December 2002, the "Todos Unidos"
movement released a series of Proposals for measures to resolve the crisis,
including a range of economic, labour, social and legal measures to reform
national life.
The Proyecto Varela is a petition for referendum on legal reform which seeks
greater personal, political and economic freedoms, as well as amnesty for
political prisoners. It is led by Oswaldo Payá Sardiñas, of the Movimiento
Cristiano Liberación, Christian Liberation Movement, and signatures were
collected by a broad range of organisations. In March 2002 project
organisers reported having collected the 10,000 signatures constitutionally
required to hold a referendum; these were submitted to the National
Assembly. In December 2002 Oswaldo Payá received the European Union's top
human rights award, the Sakharov Prize, named after the late Soviet
dissident.
Activists for the Proyecto Varela have been subjected to threats, short-term
detention, summons, confiscation of materials and other forms of harassment
by State Security agents; several of the initiative's leaders were arrested
in the recent roundup.
1. Nelson Alberto Aguiar Ramírez, aged 57, is president of the unofficial
Partido Ortodoxo de Cuba, Cuba Orthodox Party, and a member of the recent
initiative, Asamblea para Promover la Sociedad Civil, Assembly to Promote
Civil Society. He is an electrician by profession, and has been involved in
activities critical of the government for a number of years. In one example,
in December 1999 he was detained during a mass arrest of dissidents aimed at
preventing them from participating in celebrations commemorating the 10
December anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
He was detained on 20 March 2003,(100) and his house was carefully searched,
with a number of documents reportedly confiscated. The prosecution claimed
that he had been involved in anti-governmental activities since the 1990s,
that he had received funds from the US government and that he had been a
member of the unofficial Confederación de Trabajadores Democráticos de Cuba,
Confederation of Democratic Workers of Cuba, since 2000.
Nelson Aguiar was charged under articles 6.1 and 11 of Law 88.(101) He
received a 13-year sentence.(102) He is currently serving his sentence in
Boniato provincial prison in Santiago de Cuba.

2. Osvaldo Alfonso Valdés, aged 38, is president of the unofficial Partido
Liberal Democrático, Liberal Democratic Party. He has been a member of the
"Todos Unidos," "All Together" movement, and the steering committee of the
Proyecto Varela initiative.

Osvaldo Alfonso was arrested on 18 March 2003. The verdict against him
referred to his alleged ties to the United States Agency for International
Development, USAID:
The accused ALFONSO VALDES was called to the US Interests Section in
Havana by a USAID functionary to verify whether he was receiving the aid
destined for them, in money, equipment, books and other materials, to
promote and develop their work.(103)

The verdict also states that
Equally, the accused ALFONSO VALDES, PALACIOS RUIS [sic] and CANO
RODRIGUEZ wrote and signed on 19 December 2002 in Havana a document called
'Cuba: proposals for measures to solve the crisis,' created by the union of
different illegal organisations called 'Todos Unidos.' The document was
disseminated abroad, a clear means of implementing the measures established
by the Helms Burton law to increase the US blockade against Cuba, as the
proposals in the two texts are very similar.(104)

This document, which was available on a number of websites, is described in
the textbox at the beginning of this section. It proposed a number of
economic, labour, social and legal measures to reform national life.

Osvaldo Alfonso was convicted under article 91 of the Penal Code, with
"actos contra la independencia o la integridad territorial del Estado,"
"acts against the territorial independence or integrity of the state," as
well as under articles 4.1, 4.2a-b, 6.1, 6.2a-b, 7.1, 7.2, 7.3, 8.1, 8.2,
9.1, 9.2, 10 and 11 of Law 88.(105) The trial verdict claimed that he had
confessed to some of the activities of which he had been accused, and he
received an 18-year sentence. The prosecution had asked for a life sentence
for him.(106) He is currently being held in Guanajay prison, Havana
province.
3. Pedro Pablo Alvarez Ramos, 55 years old, is President of the unofficial
Consejo Unitario de Trabajadores Cubanos (CUTC), United Cuban Workers
Council. The CUTC is affiliated with regional and international labour
bodies such as the Central Latinoamericana de Trabajadores (CLAT), Latin
American Workers Office, and the Confederación Mundial de Trabajadores,
World Confederation of Labour. He served as a vice delegate in the 1995-96
Concilio Cubano initiative, and became involved with the Proyecto Varela in
2002.
Pedro Pablo Alvarez has been subjected to harassment and detention for his
trade union activities since at least 1996. He was put under house arrest,
summoned and interrogated on a number of occasions, during waves of mass
arrests or harassment of Concilio Cubano activists.(107)
He was again detained in August and October 2000, apparently in relation to
his work in preparing the first CUTC congress, planned for 20-21 October.
Several other trade union members and dissidents were arrested with him on
13 October, and other leaders of the CUTC were visited and threatened with
arrest should they attend the CUTC conference. He was subsequently held in
detention for over three months, during which time he was formally charged
with resisting arrest in November 2000.(108) He was released on 26 January
2001. The trial verdict indicated that he did not have a prior criminal
record.(109)
On the morning of 19 March 2003 Pedro Pablo Alvarez' house was searched, and
all the books of the private library there, the 'Biblioteca sindical Emilio
Máspero,' were confiscated. He received a 25-year sentence under article 91
of the Penal Code(110) and is currently imprisoned in the Prisión Provincial
de Ciego de Avila, Ciego de Avila Provincial Prison (called "Canaleta").
4. Pedro Argüelles Morán, 55 years of age, is a member of the Cooperativa de
Periodistas Independientes, Cooperative of Independent Journalists. He is
also a member of the Comité Cubano Pro Derechos Humanos, Cuban Committee for
Human Rights, in Ciego de Avila. Neither organisation has been recognised by
the Cuban authorities.
Pedro Argüelles has reportedly been harassed periodically for his activities
since 1997, including through threats, warnings and short term
detentions.(111)
Pedro Argüelles was sentenced under articles 6.1, 6.3b, 7.1, 7.3 and 11 of
Law 88 to 20 years' imprisonment.(112) He is currently being held in the
provincial prison in Santa Clara.

5. Víctor Rolando Arroyo Carmona, aged 52, is vice-president of the
unofficial group Foro por la Reforma, Forum for Reform, as well as a member
of the unofficial Unión de Periodistas y Escritores Cubanos Independientes
(UPECI), Union of Independent Cuban Journalists and Writers.

In January 2000 Víctor Arroyo was sentenced to six months' imprisonment,
reportedly for buying, with money sent by exile groups in Miami, toys for
distribution to disadvantaged children.(113) The arrest took place during a
period of clampdown on dissidents, in the aftermath of the 1999
Ibero-American Summit in Havana. He was released on 20 July 2000, and
continued his activities, in spite of reported incidents of harassment.

Víctor Arroyo was arrested on 18 March 2003. On 5 April 2003 he was
convicted of criminal activity under article 91 of the penal code and
sentenced to 26 years in prison.(114) The text of the verdict noted, among
other accusations against him, that he had been awarded the Hellman/Hammet
human rights prize by Human Rights Watch. Although Víctor Arroyo lives and
was tried in Pinar del Río, on the west end of Cuba, he has been transferred
to the other end of the island and is currently being held in the provincial
prison in Guantánamo.


6. Mijail Barzaga Lugo, aged 35, was reportedly detained on 20 March 2003,
and charged with infractions under articles 4.1, 4.2b, 7.1 and 7.3 of Law
88.(115) He was sentenced to 15 years.(116)

According to the trial verdict, Mijail Barzaga had worked as an 'independent
journalist' and was paid by US government funds:
It has been proved that the accused Mijail Barzaga Lugo, in 2002,
wrote, as an 'independent journalist' in different websites like Cubanet,
Cubaliberal and Payolibre (the first of which is financed by the North
American government agency USAID), different articles of a subversive and
counterrevolutionary type, with the obvious objective of their being used in
campaigns to discredit the Cuban socialist state.(117)

Mijail Barzaga was tried in Havana, but is being held in the provincial
prison in Santa Clara province.


7. Oscar Elías Biscet González, 41 years old, president of the unofficial
Fundación Lawton de Derechos Humanos, Lawton Human Rights Foundation, has
been detained over two dozen times in the past. In one instance, he was
arrested on 3 November 1999 and served a three year sentence, charged with
'insult to the symbols of the homeland,' 'ultraje a los símbolos de la
patria,' 'public disorder,' 'desorden público,' and 'incitement to commit an
offence', 'instigación a delinquir.' During his imprisonment he was
considered by Amnesty International to be a prisoner of conscience.(118) He
was released on 31 October 2002 from a maximum security prison in Holguín
province, and reportedly gave a press conference denouncing prison
conditions a short time afterwards.
On 6 December 2002 Oscar Biscet was re-detained with 16 other dissidents
after they attempted to meet at a home in Havana to discuss human
rights.(119) When police prevented them from entering the home, Oscar Biscet
and the others reportedly sat down in the street in protest and uttered
slogans such as "long live human rights" and "freedom for political
prisoners." The group was then arrested, though most of them were released
shortly afterwards.

In spite of the fact that he was already in detention during the crackdown,
Oscar Biscet was tried together with a number of dissidents who were
arrested in March. He was sentenced under article 91 of the Penal Code to 25
years in prison.(120) Although he lives and was tried in Havana, he is
currently imprisoned in Kilo 5 1/2 prison in Pinar del Río province.


8. Margarito Broche Espinosa, aged 45, was reportedly tried and fined after
trying to leave the country illegally in 1992, and was said to have been
harassed on several occasions in recent years.

He was arrested on 18 March 2003. According to the trial verdict, after his
own attempt at leaving the country, Margarito Broche founded a group called
Asociación Nacional de Balseros, Paz, Democracia y Libertad del Centro Norte
de Cuba, the National Association of Rafters, Peace, Democracy and Liberty
of North Central Cuba. The group was accused of having as its aims
To render homage to boat people who went missing or were returned
[to Cuba] following attempts to leave the country secretly, and through
this, to sabotage the migration accords signed between the governments of
Cuba and the United States, creating a favourable atmosphere for the North
American authorities to violate those accords and to search for
justifications for toughening its policies against our people.(121)
Margarito Broche received a 25-year sentence under article 91 of the penal
code.(122) He is currently being held in Guanajay prison in Havana province.



9. Marcelo Cano Rodríguez , 38 years old and a medical doctor, is National
Coordinator of the unofficial Colegio Médico Independiente de Cuba, Cuban
Independent Medical Association, an association of medical professionals
around the island. He is also a member of the unofficial Comisión Cubana de
Derechos Humanos y Reconciliación Nacional (CCDHRN), Cuban Commission for
Human Rights and National Reconciliation.

Marcelo Cano was arrested on 25 March 2003 in Las Tunas, reportedly as he
was investigating the arrest of another March detainee, Jorge Luis García
Paneque. He had no previous criminal record. The activities which the
prosecution cited against this human rights defender included visiting
prisoners and their families as part of his work with the CCDHRN, and
maintaining ties to the international organisation Médicos sin Fronteras,
Doctors without Borders.(123)
Marcelo Cano was tried and convicted under article 91 of the Penal Code and
articles 4.1, 4.2a-b, 6.1, 6.2a-b, 7.1, 7.2, 7.3, 8.1, 8.2, 9.1, 9.2, 10 and
11 of Law 88 to 18 years in prison.(124) Although he lives and was tried in
Havana, he was transferred and is serving his sentence in the Prisión
Provincial de Ciego de Avila, Ciego de Avila Provincial Prison (called
"Canaleta").
10. Juan Roberto de Miranda Hernández, aged 57, is vicepresident of the
unofficial Colegio de Pedagogos de Cuba, Teachers College of Cuba. He has
reportedly been harassed and detained numerous times in the past for being
involved in activities critical of the government.

On 7 September 1998 he was detained for three days during the most
significant crackdown on anti-government activism since the January 1998
visit of the Pope to Cuba. The arrest occurred when he was taking part in a
demonstration outside the court where another activist, Reinaldo Alfaro
García, was being tried.(125) He was again briefly detained following a
demonstration outside the trial of dissident Mario Julio Viera González in
November 1998;(126) harassment against him and his family reportedly
continued in subsequent years.

Following his March arrest, Roberto de Miranda received a 20-year sentence
under the state security provisions of article 91 of the Penal Code.(127)
The prosecution had requested a sentence of 25 years.(128)

The trial verdict contained one sentence regarding supposed links between
Roberto de Miranda and an individual said to be connected to Alpha 66, a
US-based Cuban exile group which has admitted carrying out violent attacks
in Cuba in the past. However, aside from the assertion itself, there was no
substantive information or evidence provided, and no accusation that Roberto
de Miranda had plotted, encouraged or engaged in violent behaviour. As with
the other cases, the activities for which he was tried appeared to amount to
peaceful exercises of freedom of association and expression, for example the
following:
In 1996 he created the illegal and
counterrevolutionary College of Independent Teachers of Cuba, of which he
named himself head. He also dedicated himself to intentionally and
maliciously criticising the objectives of the Cuban education system, and
tried to minimise the achievements in this area of our revolutionary
process.(129)

For this reason Amnesty International considers that based on the available
information, Roberto de Miranda, like the others tried following the
crackdown, is a prisoner of conscience. He is currently imprisoned in Agüica
prison, in the municipality of Colón in Matanzas province, though he was
reportedly sent briefly to a military hospital on 20 April with heart
problems. He also reportedly suffers from high blood pressure and kidney
ailments.
11. Carmelo Agustín Díaz Fernández, 65 years old, is a member of the
unofficial Unión Sindical Cristiana Cubana, the Christian Cuban Workers
Union, and president of the also unofficial Agencia de Prensa Sindical
Independiente de Cuba (APSIC), the Independent Union Press Agency. He is the
Cuban correspondent for the Venezuelan magazine Desafíos, and his articles
have also appeared on a number of websites. He has been reportedly harassed
and threatened with imprisonment for his work as a journalist and trade
unionist.
Carmelo Díaz was sentenced to 16 years under article 91 of the Penal
Code.(130) He is currently being held in Guanajay prison in Havana province.



12. Eduardo Díaz Fleitas, aged 51, belongs to a number of groups in his
province of Pinar del Río, including the unofficial Movimiento 5 de Agosto,
5 August Movement. A farmer by profession, he reportedly worked for the
state as a young man, but joined the opposition movement at the beginning of
1990s. Since then, he has been subjected to regular harassment, including
summons, interrogations, house searches and periods of detention.
On 10 November 1999 he was arrested together with another activist at a
demonstration that had begun in Dolores Park, in the run-up to the IX
Ibero-American Summit.(131) During the march the pair were reportedly
injured by government supporters in the presence of the international press.
After more than three months in detention, during which time he reportedly
suffered medical problems and was moved to a military hospital, Eduardo Díaz
was sentenced to a year's restricted freedom and house surveillance on 25
February 2000 for "desorden público," or public disorder.
Eduardo Díaz was convicted under articles 4.1, 4.2a-b, 6.1, 6.3a-b, 7.1, 7.3
and 11 of Law 88, and received a 21-year sentence.(132) According to the
trial verdict,
It is known by everyone in the area that he directs
an opposition group of so-called 'human rights,' carrying out activities and
meetings, using our national flag and showing posters asking for freedom for
political prisoners and prisoners of conscience, in a frank challenge to the
judicial, political and social system.(133)
He is serving his sentence in Villa Marista, the headquarters of the
Department of State Security.


13. Antonio Ramón Díaz Sánchez, 40 years old, is a member of the unofficial
Movimiento Cristiano Liberación, Christian Liberation Movement, and has been
active in the Proyecto Varela initiative. He is an electrician by
profession.
Antonio Díaz was given a 20-year sentence for infractions under article 91
of the Penal Code.(134) This was the sentence requested by the
prosecution.(135)

Although he lives and was tried in Havana, he has reportedly been
transferred to the provincial prison of Holguín at the other end of the
island to serve his sentence.


14. Alfredo Rodolfo Domínguez Batista, is also a member of the Movimiento
Cristiano Liberación, Christian Liberation Movement, and has been involved
in the Proyecto Varela initiative in Las Tunas province.

He was arrested on 19 March, tried and sentenced to 14 years. He began
serving his sentence in "El Típico" provincial prison in Las Tunas, with
four other men arrested in the crackdown. However, they were all
transferred, reportedly after they had staged a protest in the prison.
Alfredo Rodolfo Domínguez is now being held in Holguín provincial prison.


15. Oscar Manuel Espinosa Chepe, aged 62, is a former employee of the
National Bank of Cuba. He also worked for the Cuban government as economic
counsellor for the Cuban Embassy in Belgrade. Later, after expressing
criticism of government policies, he became a journalist reporting on
economic and other matters.
Since being detained Oscar Espinosa has suffered health problems. He is
believed to be suffering from a liver condition, a thoracic hernia,
persistent hyper-tension and weight loss. On 20 April he was transferred to
a military hospital, though his family maintains that medical treatment was
withheld.(136)
Oscar Espinosa was convicted under article 91 of the Penal Code and articles
4.1, 4.2a-b, 6.1, 6.2a-b, 7.1, 7.2, 7.3, 8.1, 8.2, 9.1, 9.2, 10 and 11 of
Law 88 to 20 years in prison.(137) He was accused, among other activities,
of "having a regular program on Radio Martí called 'Talking with Chepe,'
where he gave distorted information on the Cuban economy." (138)

Oscar Espinosa lives and was tried in Havana but has been transferred to
Guantánamo provincial prison in eastern Cuba to serve his sentence. His
health problems reportedly continue, and he was said to have again been
taken to hospital in late May.

16. Alfredo Felipe Fuentes is a member of the Consejo Unitario de
Trabajadores Cubanos (CUTC), United Cuban Workers Council, and other
organisations. He is said to have been active in collecting signatures for
the Proyecto Varela initiative in Artemisa, Havana province, where he lives.

Alfredo Felipe was reportedly sentenced to 26 years. He is being held in
Guamajal prison in the municipality of Santa Clara.


17. Efrén Fernández Fernández, age 54, is secretary of the Movimiento
Cristiano Liberación, Christian Liberation Movement, and was active in the
Proyecto Varela signature drive in Havana.
Efrén Fernández was convicted of state security violations under article 91
of the Penal Code and sentenced to 12 years.(139) The prosecution had
requested 15 years.(140) He was tried in Havana and is serving his sentence
in Guanajay prison in Havana province.


18. Juan Adolfo Fernández Sainz, 54 years old, is a trained English language
translator, and reportedly worked in this field first with official
structures and then with unofficial groups. He is also a journalist with the
unofficial agency Patria, Fatherland.

In July 2002, the Cuban government reportedly denied him and three other
dissidents permission to leave the country to participate in a seminar
''Cómo democratizar Cuba desde dentro,'' "How to democratise Cuba from
within," at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France.
Adolfo Fernández was found guilty of infractions under articles 4.1, 4.2b,
7.1 and 7.3 of Law 88.(141) He was sentenced to 15 years imprisonment,(142)
and has been transferred from Havana to the prison in Holguín province,
eastern Cuba.


19. José Daniel Ferrer García(143) is an active Proyecto Varela supporter
and regional co-ordinator for the Movimiento Cristiano Liberación, Christian
Liberation Movement, in Santiago Province.
José Daniel Ferrer has reportedly been detained and harassed on numerous
occasions for his work. He was briefly detained in November 2000 together
with other dissidents, apparently to prevent them from attending the trial
of fellow dissidents. On 22 January 2002, he and other Proyecto Varela
activists were said to have been forced from the bus in which they were
travelling and beaten by the police. Referring to the incident and to his
Proyecto Varela work, he told a US-based reporter, "we're for peaceful
change as allowed under our Constitution. We aren't breaking any laws by
collecting those signatures, and they know it. They know it."(144)
José Daniel Ferrer was sentenced to 25 years. The prosecution had reportedly
requested the death sentence for him. He is serving his sentence in Kilo 5
1/2 prison in Pinar del Río in western Cuba, though he lives and was tried
in Santiago de Cuba, at the other end of the island.


20. Luis Enrique Ferrer García, aged 27, is the brother of José Daniel
Ferrer García. He also is a member of Movimiento Cristiano Liberación,
Christian Liberation Movement.
Luis Enrique Ferrer has been harassed and detained on numerous occasions. In
December 1999 he was reportedly sentenced to 6 months' restricted freedom
for his refusal to pay a fine which he claimed was imposed upon him
unfairly.
During his trial, Luis Enrique Ferrer's family members were said to have
been denied access to the court room, instead having to wait in the
corridor. At the end of the trial, members of the public were said to have
insulted and displayed physical aggression against the family members,
reportedly pushing Luis Enrique Ferrer's mother to the floor.
Luis Enrique Ferrer was sentenced to 28 years' imprisonment. He was
transferred from "El Típico" provincial prison in Las Tunas to Combinado del
Este, reportedly after being involved in a protest with other activists
caught up in the March crackdown.


21. Orlando Fundora Alvarez, 47 years old, is president of the unofficial
Asociación de Presos Políticos 'Pedro Luis Boitel,' or 'Pedro Luis Boitel'
Political Prisoners Association. His wife, Yolanda Triana, is director of a
private library and is also an active dissident. Orlando Fundora reportedly
lived in the US for a period after the 1980 Mariel boatlift. He was accused
of illegal entry into Cuba on 27 July 1991 and sentenced to two years'
imprisonment. He was released in 1993.

Orlando Fundora and his wife have reportedly been subjected to frequent
harassment in recent years, including short-term detention and
interrogation. Their house has reportedly been attacked by unknown
assailants.

Following his March arrest, Orlando Fundora was tried and sentenced under
article 91 of the Penal Code to 18 years in prison.(145) He is being held in
Combinado del Este prison in Guanabacoa municipality in Havana province.
Since his detention, there have been concerns for his health, as he is said
to suffer from hypertension and heart problems.
22. Próspero Gaínza Agüero is the delegate for Holguín province of the
unofficial Movimiento Nacional de Resistencia Cívica 'Pedro Luis Boitel,'
'Pedro Luis Boitel' National Civil Resistance Movement.

Próspero Gaínza reportedly took part in a number of activities critical of
the government, and in 2002 was said to have been briefly detained for his
participation in a protest by members of his group to demand to release of a
detainee charged with 'public disorder.'

He was detained on 18 March 2003, and believed to have been charged under
Law 88, on the basis of 'subversive' activities and material found during a
search of his house. He was tried in Holguín on 3 April 2003 and shortly
after, sentenced to 25 years in prison. He is serving his prison sentence in
Boniato provincial prison in Santiago de Cuba, and is said to be in poor
health.


23. Miguel Galván Gutierrez is 38 years of age. He was born and lives in the
town of Güines, Havana province, and is an engineer by profession. He has
reportedly written articles for the unofficial press agency Havana Press and
served as president of the unofficial Colegio de Ingenieros y Arquitectos de
Cuba, College of Engineers and Architects of Cuba. He is also the area
coordinator for Proyecto Varela.

In recent years Miguel Galván was reportedly harassed on numerous occasions,
including through interrogation and short term detention. He was arrested on
18 March 2003, reportedly charged under Law 88 and Article 91 of the Penal
Code and sentenced to 26 years in prison. He is serving his prison sentence
in Agüica prison in the municipality of Colón in Matanzas province. Miguel
Galván is said to be physically handicapped due to the effects of a past
traffic accident, and his family has reportedly expressed concerns for his
health.


24. Julio César Gálvez Rodríguez, aged 58, lives in Havana and works as a
journalist. In 2001, he was allegedly sacked from the official radio
stations Radio Ciudad de La Habana and Radio Cadena Habana for collaborating
with the unofficial organization Cuba Free Press.

He reportedly continued his unofficial journalism work and was detained on
19 March 2003. He was sentenced under articles 4.1, 4.2b, 6.1, 6.3b, 7.1,
7.3, and 11 of Law 88, to a penalty of 15 years' imprisonment.(146) Although
he is resident and was tried in Havana, he was transferred to the provincial
prison in Santa Clara to serve his sentence. There are concerns for his
health, as he is reported to suffer from high blood pressure.


25. Edel José García Díaz, 57 years old, worked as director of an unofficial
press agency in Havana, and reportedly took part in a workshop on
journalistic ethics held just before the crackdown.

According to reports Edel José García was harassed repeatedly during 1997,
1998 and 1999, including through short term detention, interrogation and
official warnings.

Edel José García was convicted under articles 4.1, 4.2b, 6.1, 6.3b, 7.1,
7.3, and 11 of Law 88 and received a sentence of 15 years.(147) He was
accused of writing articles about, among other topics, the poor physical
condition of a school building in Havana, "accompanying this article with a
photo of the state of this installation."(148) He is being held in Boniato
provincial prison in Santiago, on the other side of the island from his
home.


26. José Luis García Paneque, 38 years of age, lives in the province of Las
Tunas. He is a plastic surgeon by training and a member of the unofficial
Colegio Médico Independiente de Cuba, Cuban Independent Medical Association.
He has also been involved in journalism, as director of the independent news
agency Libertad and member of unofficial Sociedad de Periodistas,
Journalists' Society, "Manuel Marquez Sterling." He was also reportedly
involved in the Proyecto Varela initiative as well as directing a private
library. In 2002, he was reportedly arrested and detained together with
other journalists, but was later released.

José Luis García was detained on 18 March 2003. Following a search of his
house, materials, correspondence and medical equipment were reportedly
confiscated. He was said to have been charged and tried under Law 88 and
Article 91 of the Penal Code, and given a 24-year sentence, even though the
prosecution had called for a lesser sentence of 18 years. He is being held
in Villa Clara prison, having reportedly been transferred from "El Típico"
provincial prison in Las Tunas following a protest with other prisoners
arrested in the March crackdown.


27. Ricardo Severino Gonzales Alfonso, 53, is president of the unofficial
Sociedad de Periodistas "Manuel Marquez Sterling", "Manuel Marquez Sterling"
Journalists' Society, and correspondent in Cuba of the international
nongovernmental organization Reporters Without Borders. He also has a
private library called the 'Jorge Mañach' Library in his home.

Ricardo Gonzales has been detained on many occasions. In October 1997 he was
reportedly arrested for distributing reports of alleged human rights
violations in the Santa Clara area. He was released without charge after two
days but warned that if he did not stop writing such articles, he would have
to choose between imprisonment and exile. Amnesty International believed him
to be a prisoner of conscience.(149)

In 2001, Amnesty International received reports that he had been detained on
16 February, allegedly to prevent a seminar entitled "Ethics and Journalism"
from being held in the library of which he is director. On that occasion, as
on similar occasions on 22 February and 15 July 2001, he was apparently
released after being questioned for several hours.

Ricardo Gonzales was arrested on 18 March and sentenced to 20 years'
imprisonment under article 91 of the Penal Code.(150) The prosecution had
called for life imprisonment, on charges that he was responsible for
"aggressive and untrue publications against the Cuban Government."(151) The
sentence document stated that:
"he wrote this type of information for the Fundación
Hispano Cubano Americana, Cuban American National Foundation, based in
Spain, for which he received sums of money from its president, Orlando
Fondevila, who is of Cuban origin, he managed to get his articles, which
were subversive and misleading in nature with regard to the Cuban system,
published in various newspapers and magazines such as Encuentros en la Red
and Reporters Without Borders, among others, from whom he received sums of
money for his articles."(152)

Ricardo Gonzales is serving his sentence in Kilo 8 Provincial Prison in the
province of Camagüey despite the fact that he lives with his family in the
city of Havana.


28. Diosdado González Marrero has been an activist for several years and has
been detained on several occasions. In January 2000 he was considered a
prisoner of conscience by Amnesty International when he was detained during
the government crackdown on dissidents during the Ibero-American Summit held
in Havana in November 1999.(153) On that occasion he spent over six months
in prison.

Diosdado González, who was arrested at the end of March, was reportedly
convicted under Law 88. He is serving a 20-year sentence in Kilo 5½ Prison
in the province of Pinar del Río. According to his family, he is being held
in solitary confinement in a punishment cell from which he is only taken out
for one hour a day to get some sunlight. He is also reportedly only allowed
to receive restricted visits from members of his family.


29. Léster González Pentón, 26, is a member of the Movimiento pro Derechos
Humanos Razón, Verdad y Libertad, Reason, Truth and Freedom Human Rights
Movement, and delegate of the Confederación de Trabajadores Democráticos de
Cuba, Cuban Confederation of Democratic Workers, in Santa Clara. Neither
group has been recognized by the authorities.

Léster González had suffered police harassment in the past. For example, on
5 August 2002 state security officials apparently prevented him from leaving
his house to stop him from participating in events organized by dissidents.
In addition, on 9 July 2001 he was said to have been questioned by police
and threatened with imprisonment if he did not work, despite the fact that
he had reportedly been sacked from his job as a baker because of his
activities with the Confederación de Trabajadores Democráticos de Cuba.

Léster González was arrested on 18 March and sentenced to 20 years'
imprisonment for breaching article 91 of the Penal Code.(154) He is serving
his sentence in Boniato Provincial Prison, in the municipality of Santiago
de Cuba.


30. Alejandro González Raga is 45 years old and lives in Camaguey. According
to reports, he is a journalist and helped to collect signatures for the
Proyecto Varela, Varela Project.

Alejandro González was sentenced to 14 years' imprisonment for breaching
article 91 of the Penal Code.(155) He is serving his sentence in "Canaleta"
Provincial Prison in the municipality of Ciego de Avila.


31. Jorge Luis González Tanquero, 32, is reportedly a member of a group
called Movimiento Independentista Carlos Manuel de Céspedes, Carlos Manuel
de Céspedes Independence Movement, which is not recognized by the
authorities. He also helped to collect signatures for the Proyecto Varela in
Las Tunas.

Jorge Luis González was arrested on 19 March 2003 and has reportedly been
sentenced to 20 years' imprisonment. He is being held in Guanajay Prison in
Havana Province.


32. Leonel Grave de Peralta Almenares is a member of the Movimiento
Cristiano Liberación, Christian Liberation Movement, in the province of
Santa Clara. He reportedly helped to gather signatures for the Proyecto
Varela in that region. He is also said to have a private library called the
"Bartolomé Massó" Library.

According to the Movimiento Cristiano Liberación, Leonel Grave de Peralta
was reportedly subjected to harassment in September 2002 when his home was
besieged by members of the Brigadas de Respuesta Rápida, Rapid Response
Brigades.(156)

Leonel Grave de Peralta was tried at the same time as other members of the
Movimiento Cristiano Liberación. The alleged basis of the charge against him
was that he had been involved in activities related to the Proyecto Varela.
He was reportedly sentenced to 20 years' imprisonment for breaching Law 88.
He is imprisoned in Kilo 5½ Prison in Pinar del Río.


33. Iván Hernández Carrillo is 32 years old. He reportedly belongs to
several groups: he is a member of the Partido por la Democracia "Pedro Luis
Boitel," "Pedro Luis Boitel" Democracy Party, has worked as a journalist for
several agencies, including the "Patria", "Fatherland", agency, and has a
private library in his house in the province of Matanzas.

According to reports received by Amnesty International, Iván Hernández has
been repeatedly subjected to harassment involving short-term detention,
searches and being called in for questioning. For example, he was apparently
visited by police officers on two occasions in January 1997, arrested in
February 1997 and again arrested in November 1999. On 23 June 2002 he was
said to have been arrested with other members of his group to prevent them
from attending a meeting of the "Pedro Luis Boitel" Democracy Party in the
municipality of Perico.

He was arrested on 18 March 2003. The evidence submitted against him at his
trial included a computer allegedly sent from the United States and invoices
for moneys said to have been received by the private library. Witnesses for
the prosecution stated that cars belonging to the diplomatic corps had
visited his home. Iván Hernández Carrillo was sentenced to 25 years'
imprisonment on the basis of articles 4.1, 4.2a-b, 6.1, 6.3b, 7.1, 7.3 and
8.2 of Law 88.(157) He is being held in Holguín Provincial Prison.


34. Normando Hernández González, 32, from the province of Camagüey, is the
director of the Colegio de Periodistas Independientes, College of
Independent Journalists. He has been subjected to harassment on many
occasions over the past few years: in February and March 2001, for example,
he was reportedly detained and released several miles from his home on at
least two occasions, and on 8 March 2002 members of the police apparently
threatened to imprison him for his journalism work. He has also reported
other types of harassment as well, including that his telephone has been cut
off since 15 June 2002 despite having paid the required bills.

Normando Hernández was arrested on 24 March 2003. According to reports, on
the day of his arrest the police confiscated documents permitting him and
his wife to leave Cuba.

According to the verdict, the activities for which Normando Hernández has
been convicted include writing articles on various issues relating to daily
life. He was accused of the following activities, among others:
He prepared one hundred and sixteen reports for the
ill-named Radio 'José Martí', some of which were untrue and others
tendentious, with the aforementioned aim of creating conditions in which our
national integrity would be put at risk, reports which were transmitted by
those radio stations and monitored in Cuba, and in which he attacked the
health system [and] the education provided in this country, questioned the
justice system, tourism, culture, agriculture, fishing....(158)

Normando Hernández was sentenced to 25 years' imprisonment for breaching
article 91 of the Penal Code.(159) He is being held in Boniato Provincial
Prison in the province of Santiago de Cuba.


35. Juan Carlos Herrera Acosta, 36, is a member of the Movimiento Cubano de
Jóvenes por la Democracia, Cuban Movement of Young People for Democracy, and
the Asociación de Presos Políticos 'Pedro Luis Boitel', 'Pedro Luis Boitel'
Political Prisoners Association.(160) Neither organisation has been
recognised by the authorities. He also works as a journalist in the province
of Guantánamo.

Between September 1997 and 2001, Juan Carlos Herrera had served a four-year
prison sentence in Combinado de Guantánamo Prison for trying to leave the
country illegally. On that occasion he was reportedly held in a punishment
cell with no light because of his activities in defence of prisoners' rights
and for refusing to cooperate with the prison's re-education program.(161)

He was detained on 19 March 2003 and later tried together with Manuel Ubals
González. Despite being accused of having links with 'Comandos F-4,' a
Miami-based organization which has reportedly claimed to have committed acts
of violence in Cuba, no evidence of this or that they had acted violently or
incited others to use violence was presented. The activities for which they
were convicted in the verdict appear to have been peaceful in nature and
related solely to the exercise of fundamental freedoms. According to the
information it has received, Amnesty International believes that the two
men, like the other dissidents arrested in March, are prisoners of
conscience.

Juan Carlos Herrera was sentenced to 20 years' imprisonment for breaching
articles 4.1, 4.2a-b, 6.1, 6.3b, 7.1, 7.3 10 and 11 of Law 88.(162) He is
serving his sentence in Boniato Provincial Prison in the municipality of
Santiago de Cuba.


36. Regis Iglesias Ramírez, 33, is a member of the Movimiento Cristiano
Liberación, Christian Liberation Movement, in Havana. He has been involved
in work related to the Proyecto Varela. According to the prosecution, he had
no previous convictions.(163)

Regis Iglesias was arrested at the end of March and tried on 3 April. He was
sentenced to 18 years' imprisonment under article 91 of the Penal Code.(164)
He is serving his sentence in Kilo 8 Provincial Prison in the municipality
of Camagüey.


37. José Ubaldo Izquierdo Hernández runs the private "Sebastián Arcos
Bergnes" Library and works as a journalist for an agency called "Grupo
Decoro."

José Ubaldo Izquierdo has reportedly been a victim of harassment on several
occasions. On 8 March 2002, for example, he was apparently arrested when he
was on his way to participate in an event connected with International
Women's Day and that same night his house was stoned by unknown individuals.
On 4 December 2002 he was said to have been threatened with imprisonment if
he attended festivities in honour of the Virgin of Santa Bárbara in Güines,
Havana province. When he was returning home from the event on his bicycle,
he was hit by a car, reportedly suffering injuries to his abdomen and legs.

José Ubaldo Izquierdo was arrested at the end of March, tried in the San
Antonio Provincial Court on 3 April and sentenced to sixteen years'
imprisonment. He is serving his sentence in Kilo 5½ Prison in the
municipality of Pinar del Río.


38. Reinaldo Miguel Labrada Peña, aged 40, is a member of the Movimiento
Cristiano Liberación, Christian Liberation Movement. He has been involved in
the work around the Proyecto Varela initiative.

Reinaldo Labrada was arrested on 19 March in Las Tunas. The prosecution
reportedly sought a ten-year sentence. He was sentenced to six years, the
shortest sentence imposed on any of the dissidents arrested during the
crackdown. He was transferred from "El Típico" Provincial Prison in Las
Tunas following a protest with other activists arrested in the March
crackdown, and is being held in the provincial prison in Guantánamo.


39. Librado Ricardo Linares García, 42 years old, is president of the
unofficial Movimiento Cubano Reflexión, Cuban Reflection Movement, in the
town of Camajuaní, Villa Clara province. He is an engineer by training and,
after reportedly being expelled from the Communist Party in 1992 for calling
for economic reforms, has been involved in dissident activities for a number
of years.

Librado Linares was harassed, arrested and fine several times in the
crackdown against Concilio Cubano activists in late 1995 and 1996.(165) In
November 1999, he was reportedly detained for several days to prevent him
from taking part in activities around the Cumbre Iberoamericana, the
Inter-American Summit in Havana.(166)
He was arrested on 18 March 2003, and a number of items including a bicycle
were reportedly confiscated from his house by the agents who searched it. He
was tried in Villa Clara, where he was sentenced to 20 years in prison under
article 91 of the penal code. (167)

The trial verdict accused Librado Linares and the four other men from Villa
Clara province with whom he was tried of using human rights work as a front
for alleged counterrevolutionary activities such as meetings, conferences
and seminars:
They acted in agreement, meeting to take
organizational measures on how to carry out their struggle against the
Revolution, sheltering behind the facade of simple human rights
defenders.(168)

Librado Linares is incarcerated in Combinado del Este prison in the
municipality of Guanabacoa, Havana province.
40. Marcelo Manuel López Bañobre, is 39 years old and a tugboat captian by
profession. He joined the Comisión Cubana de Derechos Humanos y
Reconciliación Nacional (CCDHRN), Cuban Commission for Human Rights and
National Reconciliation, after the 1994 sinking of the "13 de Marzo"
tugboat,(169) later becoming its spokesman. He was initially involved in
tracking the detentions of other dissidents as the crackdown began. At the
time, he wrote
The wave of searches, confiscations and especially
detentions that began on March 18 is the most serious I have witnessed ...
at the Cuban Commision for Human Rights and National Reconciliation, where I
am spokesman, we are busy trying to establish lists of those detained and
their whereabouts. It is not easy; people are afraid to speak up because
they do not know their own rights, and also simply because transportation is
a nightmare, there are constant blackouts and the telephone is virtually
useless.(170)
By the time the article was printed, Marcelo López had been detained. He was
arrested on 25 March 2003 on the street in Havana. He was tried on 4 April
along with five other dissidents, including his CCDHRN colleague and fellow
human rights defender Marcelo Cano Rodríguez.
Marcelo López was convicted under article 91 of the Penal Code and articles
4.1, 4.2a-b, 6.1, 6.2a-b, 7.1, 7.2, 7.3, 8.1, 8.2, 9.1, 9.2, 10 and 11 of
Law 88 to 15 years in prison.(171) He is currently held in Guanajay prison
in Havana province.

According to the trial verdict, Marcelo López was penalised for his
association with Amnesty International and other international human rights
organisations:
The accused MARCELO MANUEL LOPEZ BANOBRE carries out
activities as 'spokesman and secretary' of the illegal Cuban Commission for
Human Rights and National Reconciliation, dedicating himself to sending
information to international organisms like Amnesty International and Human
Race [sic], notifying them of people given the death penalty in this
country, but without explaining the motive for its imposition. This distorts
the information, making the penalty look like extrajudicial assassination by
the Cuban State, which helps condemn our country before the Human Rights
Commission in Geneva.(172)

Marcelo López was also accused of "approaching the families of those
condemned to death so that they will address the aforementioned
international organisations."(173)
The Cuban authorities are well aware of Amnesty International's work on the
death penalty; as recently as 18 April 2003, for instance, Foreign Minister
Felipe Pérez Roque read extensively from an Amnesty International report on
the use of the death penalty in the United States during his press
conference on the results of the Human Rights Commission vote in
Geneva.(174) As such, the authorities are aware that Amnesty International
opposes the death penalty in all cases, regardless of the 'motive for its
imposition,' and that questions of alleged distortion of case information
are irrelevant to the organisation's response to death sentences, in any
country where they occur.
Amnesty International is deeply disturbed that allegations of contact with
this organisation are viewed as grounds for Cuban authorities to sanction
human rights defenders. Ironically, Cuban officials have repeatedly cited
Amnesty International's work on human rights violations by the US and its
allies to support their accusations against these countries.(175)
41. Héctor Fernando Maseda Gutierrez, 60, is reportedly an engineer and
physicist by profession. Since becoming involved in dissident activities, he
has written many articles, especially on history, economy and culture, which
have been published in different sites.
Héctor Maseda has been repeatedly harassed for his activities. He was
reportedly detained as part of a sweep at the beginning of September 1997,
while in May 2000 he was threatened with prison if he attended a conference
on the theme of 'culture and globalisation.'
Héctor Maseda was arrested at his house on 18 March 2003, and some of his
journalistic writings, a type writer, a fax and books were confiscated. He
was convicted under article 91 of the Penal Code and articles 4.1, 4.2a-b,
6.1, 6.2a-b, 7.1, 7.2, 7.3, 8.1, 8.2, 9.1, 9.2, 10 and 11 of Law 88, and
sentenced to 20 years in prison.(176)

In the trial he was accused, among other activities, of "maintaining
relations with the International University of Florida, which receives funds
from USAID, that is, from the US government, for subversion in Cuba."(177)

Héctor Maseda is currently being held in Manacas prison in the municipality
of Manacas.


42. José Miguel Martínez Hernández, aged 39, is from Quivicán in Havana
province. He is an area representative for the unofficial political group
Movimiento 24 de Febrero, 24 February Movement. He has been active with the
Proyecto Varela and has a private library, the "General Juan Bruno Zayas"
library, in his house.
José Miguel Martínez has reportedly been harassed and detained on a number
of occasions in connection with his activism. In one example, in June 2001
he was said to have been taken into custody by state security agents and
driven out of Quivacán for interrogation. He was later released.
After being arrested in March, José Miguel Martínez was tried and sentenced
to 13 years' imprisonment. He is currently being held in Kilo 8 prison in
Camagüey municipality.


43. Mario Enrique Mayo Hernández, 38, is a lawyer by profession. He has
worked as a journalist, publishing articles in a number of media, and is the
director of the unofficial press agent "Félix Varela" in Camagüey.

In November 2000 Mario Enrique Mayo was reportedly visited in his house by a
state security agent, who threatened him and insisted that he give up his
dissident activities.

Mario Enrique Mayo was arrested on 19 March and tried in Camagüey. The trial
verdict refers to a number of 'counterrevolutionary' articles Mario Enrique
Mayo allegedly wrote, covering topics such as health care, prison
conditions, and the situation of families of political prisoners. He is
accused of doing so with the intention of "creating in this way the
conditions necessary for our country to be condemned in the Human Rights
Commission, and consequently creating conditions favourable for a
'humanitarian' intervention into our territory."(178)
Mario Enrique Mayo was sentenced to 20 years in prison under article 91 of
the Penal Code.(179) He is currently being held in the provincial prison in
Holguín.


44. Luis Milán Fernández is reportedly a medical doctor by profession. He is
a member of the unofficial Colegio Médico de Cuba, Cuban Medical
Association.

In June 2001 he and his wife, also a doctor, signed a document called
'Manifiesto 2001,' calling among other measures for recognition of
fundamental freedoms in Cuba. Together with other health professionals they
carried out a one-day hunger strike to call attention to the medical
situation of detainees and other issues.

Luis Milán was reportedly sentenced to 13 years in prison. He is currently
being held in the provincial prison of Ciego de Avila (called "Canaleta").


45. Nelson Moliné Espino, 38 years old, is president of the unofficial
Confederación de Trabajadores Democráticos de Cuba, Confederation of
Democratic Workers of Cuba, and a member of the unofficial Partido 30 de
noviembre, 30 November Party.

Nelson Moliné had previously been harassed by the authorities for his
activities. In May 2002, for instance, he was reportedly called into the
local police station in San Miguel del Padrón, Havana province, and
threatened with arrest if he did not give up his trade union work.

On 20 March 2003 Nelson Moliné's home was searched and he was detained. The
indictment states that at his home "many books and magazines containing
subversive material", "múltiples libros y revistas de contenido subversive",
were found. The indictment also claims that he "mixes with people dedicated
to subversive activity, and leads a comfortable life due to the monetary
rewards of his subversive activity," "Se relaciona con personas dedicadas a
la actividad subversiva, y lleva un modo de vida holgado por las cuantiosas
entradas monetarias derivadas de la actividad subversiva."(180)

Nelson Moliné was convicted on the basis of article 91 of the Penal Code to
20 years' imprisonment.(181) He is currently being held in Kilo 8 prison in
Pinar del Río municipality, a distance which reportedly makes it difficult
for his wife and four year old daughter to visit. He is reportedly suffering
from ill health due to rapid weight loss and low blood pressure.


46. Angel Juan Moya Acosta, aged 38, is president of the Movimiento Opción
Alternativa, Alternative Option Movement, in Matanzas province, as well as a
member of the Consejo Nacional de Resistencia Cívica, National Council of
Civic Resistance, both organisations which have not been recognised by the
authorities. He was active in the "Todos Unidos," ''All United'' umbrella
movement.

Angel Moya has been imprisoned several times in the past and has previously
been considered to be a prisoner of conscience by Amnesty International. He
was detained on 15 December 1999 after participating in a peaceful
demonstration to celebrate the 51st anniversary of the Universal Declaration
of Human Rights, and was eventually released without having been tried.(182)
In December 2000 he was sentenced to one year's imprisonment and 10 years'
confinement to his home province, Matanzas, charged with ``disrespect,"
"desacato." The sentence was reportedly imposed because, in the course of a
mass celebrated at his home in November 2000, prayers were said for
political prisoners and prisoners of conscience, including calls for them to
be amnestied. He was released on 4 December 2001.(183)

Angel Moya was arrested in the March crackdown and tried on 7 April in the
Tribunal Popular de 10 de Octubre, 10 October Popular Tribunal, in Havana.
He was found guilty and sentenced under article 91 of the Penal Code to 20
years in prison.(184) He is currently held in the Holguín provincial prison.
47. Jesús Miguel Mustafa Felipe, aged 58, is a member of the Movimiento
Cristiano Liberación (MCL), Christian Liberation Movement. He was involved
in collecting signatures for the Proyecto Varela in his home town of Palma
Soriano, Santiago de Cuba province.
Jesús Mustafa had been detained on 17 December 2002 along with Robert
Montero Tamayo, after they went to a police station to find out about the
detention of fellow MCL member, Ramuel Vinajera Stevens. Both men were
released a few days later but on 19 February 2003 they were tried and
sentenced to 18 months' imprisonment, charged with "disobedience,"
"desobediencia" and "resistance," "resistencia." Amnesty International wrote
to the Cuban authorities about these events but did not receive a reply.
Jesús Mustafa was apparently tried again in the context of the March
crackdown. He is reported to have received a 25-year sentence, after the
prosecution had requested a life sentence. He is currently held in Combinada
del Este prison in Havana province.

48. Félix Navarro Rodríguez, 49 years old, is a member of the unofficial
Partido Solidaridad Democrática, Democratic Solidarity Party, in Matanzas
province and works as a journalist. He was reportedly fired from his
position as a school headmaster in the city of Perico in 2001 after being
arrested in connection with dissident activities. He has reportedly been
active in the Proyecto Varela campaign and the "Todos Unidos" umbrella
movement.

Félix Navarro has been subjected to harassment and detention for his
dissident activities since at least 1992. According to reports he was
detained in December 1992 for putting up pro-democracy posters on the
street, and in November 1996 he was taken for questioning for activities
such as not paying his union dues and having an issue of the US-published
"El Nuevo Herald" newspaper at work He was reported to have been detained
briefly in November 1999, and again in September 2001 for participating in a
commemoration of two political prisoners who were said to have died in
custody. In February 2002 he was apparently briefly detained again; during
the search of his house, State Security agents reportedly confiscated
materials for the Proyecto Varela initiative.

Félix Navarro was arrested in the March crackdown and tried in Matanzas. The
activities on which his conviction was based included the following: "he
received, among other things, leaflets and literature; the latter was proved
by the confiscation of aggressive and corrosive writings and printed
material from his house." (185)

Félix Navarro was sentenced to 25 years under articles 4.1, 4.2a-b, 6.1,
6.3b, 7.1, 7.3 and 8.2 of law 88.(186) He is being held in Guantánamo
provincial prison.


49. Jorge Olivera Castillo, 41, a former national television editor, is
director of the unofficial Havana Press agency. The agency's articles have
been featured on the US-based Nueva Prensa Cubana, New Cuban Press, website.

Jorge Olivera has been repeatedly detained and harassed during the course of
his reporting activities. He was said to have been expelled from his house
in the Lawton neighbourhood of Havana in February 1997 in retribution for
his contacts with foreign press, and arrested in September 1997 after trying
to cover the trial of dissident Maritza Lugo Fernández in the municipality
of Playa, Havana province. In the weeks preceding the Ibero-American Summit
in Havana in November 1999, President Castro reportedly mentioned Jorge
Olivera and other journalists by name during a television broadcast,
accusing them of counterrevolutionary activities.

Jorge Olivera was convicted under articles 4.1, 4.2b, 6.1, 6.3b, 7.1, 7.3,
and 11 of Law 88 and received a sentence of 18 years.(187) Though he was
tried in Havana, he was transferred to the other extreme of the island to
begin serving his sentence in a prison in Guantánamo province.


50. Pablo Pacheco Avila, 31, works for the unofficial agency Cooperativa
Avileña de Periodistas Independientes (CAPI), Avileña Cooperative of
Independent Journalists, in Ciego de Avila.

Pablo Pacheco has been subjected to harassment in the past. In one example,
in November 2002 he was reportedly detained for six hours after attempting
to video police officers ill-treating two women, and in March 2002 he was
reportedly detained for the third time in a month for providing news
coverage on the meeting of an unofficial group.

He was sentenced under articles 6.1, 6.3b, 7.1, 7.3 and 11 of Law 88 to 20
years imprisonment.(188) He is currently being held in Agüica prison in the
municipality of Colón in Matanzas province. He is reportedly suffering from
high blood pressure and migraines, for which he is said to have received
some treatment.


51. Héctor Palacios Ruiz, aged 61, is director of the unofficial Centro de
Estudios Sociales, Centre of Social Studies, and secretary of the reporting
committee of the "Todos Unidos," "All United," coalition.

Héctor Palacios is a well-known and longstanding figure among Cuban
dissidents, and has been considered by Amnesty International to be a
prisoner of conscience following arrests in 1994, 1997 and 1999. In August
1994, he was among a group of activists targeted for arrest in the wake of
violent clashes between police and protesters who had gathered on the Havana
shore following a spate of attempted armed hijackings of local ferries.(189)
In January 1997, when he was president of the unofficial Partido Solidaridad
Democrático (PSD), Democratic Solidarity Party, and member of Concilio
Cubano, Cuban Council, he was detained and sentenced to 18 months
imprisonment for "disrespect, "desacato," following an interview with a
German television station in which he criticised the Cuban government. He
was released in February 1998 following Pope John Paul IIs visit to
Cuba.(190)

Héctor Palacios was detained on 20 March 2003 and subsequently tried in
Havana. He was convicted under article 91 of the Penal Code and articles
4.1, 4.2a-b, 6.1, 6.2a-b, 7.1, 7.2, 7.3, 8.1, 8.2, 9.1, 9.2, 10 and 11 of
Law 88 to 25 years in prison.(191) The prosecution had called for life
imprisonment.(192)

Hector Palacios was accused, among other activities, of
having in his home one of the so-called independent
libraries, a program created at the request of the already mentioned
organisations based in Miami that financed this project with money received
by USAID, in other words the United States government, the majority of the
books sent being subversive and counterrevolutionary. (193)

Héctor Palacios is currently imprisoned in Kilo 5 1/2 prison in Pinar del
Río province. His wife, Gisela Delgado Sablón, was reportedly refused
permission to visit him in May and threatened with imprisonment if she
participated in public demonstrations on his behalf.


52. Arturo Pérez de Alejo Rodríguez is president of the unofficial
organisation Frente Escambray de Derechos Humanos, Escambray Human Rights
Front. He was also involved in the Proyecto Varela initiative in Villa Clara
province. In January 2003, he was said to have been briefly detained for
handing out copies of the UN Declaration of Human Rights.

Arturo Pérez de Alejo was arrested on 18 March 2003. He was tried, found
guilty and sentenced to 20 years in prison. He is currently imprisoned in
Kilo 5 1/2 prison in Pinar del Río province.


53. Omar Pernet Hernández, 57, lives in Placetas in Santa Clara province and
is a leader of the unofficial Movimiento Nacional por los Derechos Humanos,
National Movement for Human Rights, "Mario Manuel de la Peña." He is active
in a number of other organisations and in the Proyecto Varela in the area.

Omar Pernet Hernández received a 25 year sentence under article 91 of the
penal code.(194) The accusations upon which he was convicted included
carrying out subversive activities through
denunciations of supposed human rights violations in Cuba, which were
disseminated by counterrevolutionary stations based in the terrority of the
United States of North America [sic], such as the mis-named Radio Martí,
Radio Mambí and "La Poderosa," that have as their only objective to provoke
the North American government into intensifying its aggressive policy
towards our country.(195)

Omar Pernet Hernández is imprisoned in Guanajay prison in the province of
Havana.


54. Horacio Julio Piña Borrego, aged 36, lives in Sandino in the province of
Pinar del Río. He has been involved with the Proyecto Varela for the region
as well as being a provincial delegate for the Partido Pro Derechos Humanos
en Cuba, Party for Human Rights in Cuba, which is affiliated with the
Sajarov Foundation. He had been briefly detained by security forces in May
2001.

He was arrested on 19 March 2003, during the wave of arrests. He was tried
and convicted under articles 4.1, 4.2a-b, 6.1, 6.3a-b, 7.1, 7.3 and 11 of
Law 88.(196) He received a 20-year sentence and is currently being held in
the Pínar del Río provincial headquarters of the Department of State
Security.


55. Fabio Prieto Llorente lives on the Isla de Pinos and works for the
island's unofficial news agency, Agencia de Prensa Independiente de Isla de
Pinos.

Fabio Prieto Llorente was involved in independent journalism since at least
November 1999. He was said to have received regular visits, threats and
warnings from police and other security agents to discontinue his
activities. In January 2002, he was briefly detained, and harassment
reportedly continued throughout that year.

He was arrested on 18 March 2003, tried and sentenced to 20 years in prison.
As of this writing he is being held in Guanajay prison in Havana province.


56. Alfredo Manuel Pulido López, 42, lives in Camagüey. He worked as a
journalist for the unofficial news agency El Mayor in Camagüey. In addition,
he was reportedly a member of the Movimiento Cristiano Liberación and was
involved in Proyecto Varela activities.

Alfredo Pulido was arrested on 18 March 2003. He was sentenced to 14 years
in prison under article 91 of the Penal Code.(197) He was transferred from
his home province and is currently being held in Combinado del Este prison
in the municipality of Guanabacoa, Havana province.


57. José Gabriel Ramón Castillo(198) is said to be a trained teacher. He is
the director of the unofficial Instituto Independiente Cultura y Democracia,
Independent Culture and Democracy Institute, based in Santiago de Cuba. He
also works as an independent journalist and has had articles and news items
published in a variety of websites include CubaNet. He was repeatedly
subjected to persecution and harassment by the authorities from the
beginning of his involvement in these activities.

José Gabriel Ramón was detained on 19 March 2003 and tried in the first week
of April 2003. He was convicted and sentenced to 20 years in prison. He is
currently being held in the provincial prison in Santa Clara.


58. Arnaldo Ramos Lauzerique, 60 years of age, lives in the city of Havana
and is a member of the Instituto Cubano de Economistas Independientes, the
Cuban Institute of Independent Economists. He is also a member of the
umbrella group Asamblea para promover la sociedad civil, Assembly to promote
civil society.

After being detained during the wave of arrests in March 2003, he was tried
under article 91 of the Penal Code. He received a sentence of 18 years.(199)
He is being held in the provincial prison in Holguín.


59. Blas Giraldo Reyes Rodríguez, aged 46, lives in Sanctí Spiritus. He is a
member of the steering committee of the Proyecto Varela in Sancti Spíritus
and director of a private library located in his residence.

Following his arrest in March 2003, he was tried and sentenced to 25 years
in prison. He is being held in Agüica prison in the municipality of Colón in
Matanzas province.

60. Raúl Rivero Castañeda is a 57-year-old poet and journalist. He was
founder, and serves as director, of the unofficial press agency Cuba Press.

Raúl Rivero has been detained and threatened many times in the past. For
example, in January 1996 he was detained for one day and threatened with
imprisonment if he did not stop his work with Concilio Cubano, of which Cuba
Press had just become a member.(200) In February 1996 he was again detained,
in a roundup of Concilio Cubano activists.(201) In July 1997 he was
detained, following an article he wrote about dissident Vladimiro Roca, and
he was again arrested in August 1997.(202) In March 1999 after Law 88 came
into force, Raúl Rivero was reportedly interrogated for three hours. The
officers reportedly told him that he would be one of the first to whom the
new law would be applied if he did not stop his journalistic work.(203)

Raúl Rivero was detained on 18 March 2003 and tried on 4 April 2003, along
with journalist Ricardo Severino González.

Raúl Rivero was accused under article 91 of the Penal Code. The indictment
accused him of carrying out unspecified "actividades subversivas encaminadas
a afectar la independencia e integridad territorial cubana," "subversive
activities, aimed at affecting the territorial independence and integrity of
Cuba." It also stated that he disseminated "falsas noticias para satisfacer
los intereses de sus patrocinadores del gobierno norteamericano," "false
news to satisfy the interests of his sponsors of the North American
government."(204)

He was found guilty and received a 20-year sentence.(205) The trial verdict
highlighted his contacts with international organisations:
The accused RIVERO CASTANEDA, in addition to the facts already
described, from 2000 began disseminating information via the Encuentro en la
Red webpage belonging to the International Press Society. [The information]
was all of a nature destabilising to the Cuban state.(206)

The verdict also accused him of working as a paid correspondent for Agence
France Presse and of having contacts with the international organisation
Reporters without Borders.
Raúl Rivero is currently being held in the provincial prison of Ciego de
Avila (called "Canaleta").


61. Alexis Rodríguez Fernández, aged 33, is a member of the Movimiento
Cristiano Liberación, Christian Liberation Movement. He was involved in the
Proyecto Varela initiative.

Alexis Rodríguez had been detained several times in the past. For example,
when he was municipal delegate of the unofficial group Movimiento de Jóvenes
Cubanos por la Democracia, Movement of Cuban Young People for Democracy, he
was reported to have been temporarily detained on 14 October 1997. In
January 2002, after collecting signatures for the Proyecto Varela he was
attacked and threatened, reportedly by plain clothes state security agents,
and later abandoned in a remote area.

Alexis Rodríguez was arrested in the March crackdown and tried in early
April. He was sentenced to 15 years' imprisonment and is currently
imprisoned in Agüica prison in the municipality of Colón in Matanzas
province.


62. Omar Rodríguez Saludes, aged 37, is director of the unofficial Nueva
Prensa news agency. In addition to reporting, he is also a photographer.

He has been arrested several times in the past. In December 1998, he was
among a group of dissidents apparently detained to prevent them from taking
part in activities to commemorate the anniversary of the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights.(207) He was also said to have been detained in
February and November 1999 and November 2000. On 17 January 2002 he was
temporarily detained after reporting on a meeting between a visiting Spanish
official and some dissidents. He was reportedly interrogated for several
hours and told that his work was illegal and counter-revolutionary.

In 2002 he is reported as telling The New York Times¸ "We know the risks we
are taking... The risk is even in our homes. The government knows what we do
and it watches. They know our lives better than we do." Due to restrictions
on freedom in Cuba, he said that he had never seen the webpage that runs his
photographs, or seen the photos themselves except as negatives. "I am a
blind photographer," he stated.(208)

Omar Rodríguez was convicted on the basis of accusations such as "he
photographed places that, because of the state they were in, gave a
distorted image of Cuban reality, and he sent them to be published in the
foreign, mainly counterrevolutionary, press."(209)

Omar Rodríguez was convicted under state security charges in article 91 of
the Penal Code and given a penalty of 27 years.(210) The prosecution had
argued for a sentence of life imprisonment.(211) He is imprisoned in Kilo 8
prison in Camagüey municipality.


63. Marta Beatriz Roque Cabello, aged 57, has been recognised by Amnesty
International as a prisoner of conscience in the past. She is an an
economist who heads the unofficial Instituto Cubano de Economistas
Independientes, Cuban Institute of Independent Economists. She is also the
head of the Asamblea para promover la sociedad civil, Assembly to promote
civil society, an umbrella organization of dissident groups created in
October 2002 to call for democracy and greater respect for freedoms.

Marta Beatriz Roque previously served out a 3 1/2 year prison sentence
following her arrest on 16 July 1997.(212) She was sentenced along with
three other members of the Grupo de Trabajo de la Disidencia Interna para el
Análisis de la situación Socio-Económica Cubana, Internal Dissidents'
Working Group for the Analysis of the Cuban Socio-Economic Situation. They
were all charged with "otros actos contra la seguridad del estado," "other
acts against state security" (Article 125 (c) of the Cuban Penal Code) in
relation to a charge of "sedición," sedition (Art 100 (c) of the Cuban Penal
Code). Their arrest took place one month after a press conference attended
by foreign press during which they criticised an official discussion
document and gave journalists a copy of their own critique of the document,
entitled "La Patria es de Todos," The Homeland is for Everyone. The latter
document advocated peaceful democratic changes in the country. She was
released on 23 May 2000. The other three members were released later, and
have not been re-arrested in the recent crackdown.

Marta Beatriz Roque was most recently arrested on 20 March 2003.

The indictment against her charges that she carried out unspecified
"acciones dirigidas a subvertir el orden interno del Estado Cubano, provocar
su desestabilización y la pérdida de su independencia, actividades por las
que recibió cuantiosos recursos monetarios del Gobierno de Los Estados
Unidos", "activities aimed at subverting internal order of the Cuban State,
provoking its destabilisation and the loss of its independence, activities
for which she received substantial monetary funds from the US Government."
It also states that she had links with the head of the US Interests Section,
James Cason, who paid visits to her house.(213)

Marta Beatriz Roque was found guilty, among other activities, of having
Created a website on a North American internet server, for use by
the self-proclaimed Institute of Independent Cuban Economists 'Manual
Sanchez Herrero,' which she used to put out propaganda articles and work
that disfigured the economic reality ... for the execution of the
abovementioned activities, the incriminated Roque Cabello received enough
financing and considerable material assistance, fundamentally from the
United States Agency for International Development. (214)

The prosecution requested a life sentence.(215) She was convicted under
article 91 of the Penal Code and received a 20-year sentence.(216) She is
currently being held in Manto Negro Prison in the municipality of La Lisa,
Havana province.

64. Omar Moisés Ruiz Hernández, aged 56, is a journalist for the unofficial
Grupo de Trabajo Decoro, Decoro Working Group.

Previously Omar Rodríguez was vice delegate of the Partido Solidaridad
Democrática, Democratic Solidarity Party, in Villa Clara. During this time
he was reportedly arrested several times, for example in January and March
1996. Similarly, he was said to have been summoned and interrogated in
October 1997. Such harassment was ongoing as he continued to carry out his
activities.

Omar Ruiz Hernández was sentenced to 18 years under article 91 of the penal
code.(217) He is currently being held in Guantánamo provincial prison.


65. Claro Sánchez Altarriba, 49, is a member of the unofficial Movimiento de
Jóvenes Cubanos por la Democracia, Movement of Cuban Young People for
Democracy, in Santiago de Cuba. He had suffered some prior harassment for
his activities, including a short-term detention and a fine in October 2002.

Claro Sánchez was detained on 19 March 2003. He was tried and was sentenced
to 15 years in prison under articles 4.1, 6.1 and 7.1 of Law 88.(218) He is
imprisoned in Kilo 8 prison, Camagüey municipality.


66 and 67. Ariel and Guido Sigler Amaya were detained on 18 March 2003.
(Their brother Miguel is also in prison, as mentioned in the chapter below,
and is facing a range of charges apparently relating to different
incidents.) Ariel and Guido Sigler are both members of the unofficial
Movimiento Opción Alternativa, Alternative Option Movement, in Matanzas
Province.

The Sigler brothers have been detained and harassed several times in the
past. They were declared prisoners of conscience by Amnesty International
following their detention in December 1999 after participating in a peaceful
demonstration to celebrate the 51st anniversary of the Universal Declaration
of Human Rights.(219) Guido was released in July 2000 and Ariel in August
2000.(220) Most recently, in December 2002 Ariel and Guido were detained
along with Oscar Elías Biscet and 14 other dissidents after they attempted
to meet at a home in Havana to discuss human rights. Ariel and Guido were
later released.(221)

Ariel Sigler Amaya, 39, received a 20-year sentence under articles 4.1,
4.2a-b, 6.1, 6.3b, 7.1, 8.1, 8.2, 8.11 of Law 88.(222) He is being held in
the Ciego de Avila provisional prison, 'Canaleta.' Guido, aged 46, was like
Ariel sentenced to 20 years in prison under articles 4.1, 4.2a-b, 6.1, 6.3b,
7.1, 8.1, 8.2, 8.11 of Law 88.(223) He is currently imprisoned in Combinado
del Este prison in Guanabacoa municipality, Havana province. Family members
have reported that both men are being held in solitary confinement. There
are concerns about their heath, particularly that of Guido, and the family
has requested that he receive specialised medical attention for a prostate
condition.


68. Ricardo Silva Gual is a medical doctor and a member of the Movimiento
Cristiano Liberación, Christian Liberation Movement. He has reportedly
suffered a number of forms of harassment related to his activities.

Ricardo Silva was detained on 18 March 2003 and was reportedly sentenced to
10 years' imprisonment under articles 4.1 and 6.1 of Law 88. He is currently
being held in the Guantánamo provincial prison.


69. Fidel Suárez Cruz, 33, is a farmer and a member of the unofficial
Partido Pro Derechos Humanos en Cuba, Party for Human Rights in Cuba, in
Pinar del Río. He also heads the private library "San Pablo."

In 2000 he was sentenced to six months' restricted freedom for
"desobediencia", "disobedience," for fishing in a restricted area; however,
in December 2000 this sentence was reportedly changed to imprisonment after
he was arrested for carrying out peaceful political activities. He was also
believed to have been detained in 1999.

Fidel Suárez was arrested on 18 March 2003 and subsequently tried on 3 April
at the Tribunal Provincial, Provincial Court, in Pinar del Río. He was
convicted under articles 4.1, 4.2a-b, 6.1, 6.3a-b, 7.1, 7.3 and 11 of Law 88
and sentenced to 20 years in prison.(224) He is being held at Agüica prison
in Matanzas province.


70. Manuel Ubals González, 34, is President of the unofficial Consejo por la
Libertad de Cuba, Council for the Freedom of Cuba. He lives in Guantánamo
province.

In 1994 he was reportedly sentenced to three years' correctional work with
internment for "salida illegal del territorio nacional," "illegal exit from
the national territory."

Manuel Ubals was detained on 20 March 2003 and subsequently tried on 3 April
at the Provincial Court in Guantánamo province.

Although he, with Juan Carlos Herrera, was accused of links with 'Comandos
F-4,' a Miami-based organisation that, according to the information
received, claims to have committed acts of violence in Cuba, there is no
evidence given of such a link. Neither were Manuel Ubals and Juan Carlos
Herrera accused of acting violently or inciting others to violence. The
activities described in the verdict, on the basis of which they were
convicted, amounted to the peaceful exercise of fundamental freedoms. Based
on the information available, therefore, Amnesty International considers
these two men, like the other dissidents tried after the recent crackdown,
to be prisoners of conscience.

Manuel Ubals was sentenced to 20 years under articles 4.1, 4.2a-b, 6.1,
6.3b, 7.1, 7.3 10 and 11 of Law 88.(225) He is imprisoned in Agüica prison,
in the municipality of Colón in Matanzas province.


71. Julio Antonio Valdés Guevara,(226) aged 52, is director of the private
library of an unofficial group, Unión de Activistas y Opositores "Golfo de
Guacanayabo", Union of Activists and Opponents "Gulf of Guacanayabo," in
Manzanillo, Granma province.

Julio Antonio Valdés was reportedly detained on 19 March 2003, tried, and
sentenced to twenty years' imprisonment.

He is believed to be suffering from high blood pressure, renal insufficiency
and dizzy spells and is not receiving any medication. He is reportedly being
held in the Prisión Provincial de Ciego de Avila, Ciego de Avila Provincial
Prison (called "Canaleta").


72. Miguel Valdés Tamayo, aged 46, is vice president of the unofficial group
"Hermanos Fraternales por la Dignidad", Fraternal Brothers for Dignity. At
the time of his detention he was reportedly working as a television mechanic
in a state run workshop in Havana province.

Miguel Valdés had previously been detained on 23 October 2002 in Havana,
when he and other members of his organisation reportedly tried to light
candles in a park.

He was detained on 19 March 2003, tried and sentenced under article 91 of
the Penal Code to 15 years in prison.(227) He is currently in prison in Kilo
8 prison in the municipality of Camagüey. He is reportedly suffering from a
number of health problems including ulcer, high blood pressure and heart
problems.


73. Héctor Raúl Valle Hernández, aged 35, is vice president of the
unofficial Confederación de Trabajadores Democráticos de Cuba, Confederation
of Democratic Workers of Cuba, and an activist of the unofficial Partido
Pro-Derechos Humanos, Pro Human Rights Party, in San José de las Lajas.

He had previously been detained and harassed on several occasions. For
example, on 16 November 2002 he was reportedly detained and taken to the
police station in San José, Havana, where he was interrogated and told to
stop his anti-government activities.

He was reportedly sentenced to 12 years' imprisonment, charged with
infringing article 91 of the penal code. He is currently being held at
Combinado de Guantánamo Prison, some 900km from his home.


74. Manuel Vázquez Portal, aged 51, is an independent journalist for the
Grupo de Trabajo Decoro, Decoro Working Group. His articles have been
published in CubaNet and other media sites. He also is a poet.

He had reportedly been detained temporarily before for his activities, for
example in November 1999.

Manuel Vázquez was arrested on 19 March 2003. He was tried and found guilty
under articles 4.1, 4.2b, 6.1, 6.3b, 7.1, 7.3, and 11 of Law 88, and
received a sentence of 18 years.(228) He is currently being held in Boniato
provincial prison, Santiago.


75. Antonio Augusto Villareal Acosta was involved in collecting signatures
for the Proyecto Varela. Amnesty International does not have information on
his past activities. He was sentenced to 15 years' imprisonment and is
currently being held in in Boniato provincial prison, Santiago.