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Cuba   

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January 1, 2007   Cuban pastor acquitted, but convicted on new charge

A court in Havana has found the Rev. Carlos Lamelas not guilty of "trafficking in human beings"� but convicted him on a previously unannounced charge of falsification of documents. Judges imposed a fine of 1,000 Cuban pesos (US$45) on the evangelical pastor and former national president of the Church of God in Cuba for the new charge.
A co-defendant in the trafficking case, evangelical pastor Joel Rojas of Holgui­n, was convicted of "human trafficking"� (helping Cubans flee the country) and was sentenced to seven years in prison, according to the court document.
A guilty verdict for Lamelas on the charge of "human trafficking"� could have resulted in a prison term of up to nine years. He expressed relief but said, "We are not satisfied. How can it be that I am innocent of the original crime, and nevertheless guilty of the one they later invented?"

http://religionrevolucion.blogspot.com
Posted by Cubareligion to Religion en Revolucion at 1/01/2007 09:06:00 AM

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December 14, 2006   Urgent Action: Cuba Update

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December 4, 2006   Urgent: Lamelas Trial

Dear Friends,

We have just received news that the trial of Pastor Carlos Lamelas in Cuba has been moved up to today (December 4, instead of December 20, which we reported in our most recent urgent action on Cuba).

As you may recall, Pastor Lamelas is being charged with “Human Trafficking”; however, observers believe he is being targeted for his outspoken calls for increased religious liberty in Cuba. The public prosecutor is asking that he be sentenced to nine years in prison.

Pastor Lamelas, the former president of the Church of God denomination, which belongs to the Cuban Council of Churches (CCC), has told us that he and his lawyer believe he will be found innocent of the charges because of a lack of evidence on the part of the government. However, they are concerned that the public prosecutor is using Pastor Lamelas’s application to leave the country, which he made following his four month imprisonment, as evidence against him.

The case is particularly noteworthy because of the fact that Lamelas’s denomination belongs to the CCC which historically has enjoyed close ties with the Cuban regime.  CSW is aware of at least one other prominent leader from a CCC denomination who was forced to flee the country after suffering severe harassment after he made public calls for increased respect for religious freedom.

Please pray for Pastor Lamelas, his lawyer, and his family, particularly today and over the next few days. Pray that the charges against him will be dropped and for peace and protection over him and his family.

Thank you for your continued prayers on behalf of our Cuban brothers and sisters.

• Please pray that the public prosecutor would recognize Pastor Lamela’s innocence and drop the charges
   
• Please pray for the Pastor and his family; pray particularly for his two daughters who have already experienced persecution in school because of their father’s case
   
• Please pray for justice and religious freedom in Cuba
   

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October 30, 2006   Urgent Action: Prayer for Cuba

Dear Friends,

You may recall requests that went out in June and July for urgent prayer for a church in Cuba that was experiencing a “tense situation” with the authorities. We recently received a communication from the pastor of that church who said “the church is without problems, growing and spreading the Kingdom of God to wherever God permits.”  Please join with us in praising God for this good news and for continued prayer for the pastor, his family, and the church as they continue to do God’s work in Cuba.

We would also like to request your urgent prayers for a Cuban pastor and his wife, a professor of theology, who are currently seeking asylum in a European country.  The couple experienced severe and sometimes violent harassment, including death threats, at the hands of authorities because of their public calls for increased respect for religious freedom.  They are fearful that they will be arrested and imprisoned if they are forced to return to Cuba and CSW believes that this fear is well-founded. 

However, the authorities in the country where they are seeking asylum have little experience with refugees from Cuba and partly as a result of lack of understanding of the human rights and political situation in the country, their initial petition was refused. They are now on appeal and will have a hearing on Wednesday, 1 November. 

Please pray for wisdom for their new lawyer and for others who will be offering testimony in support of their case. Please pray that the judge will be open to considering all the evidence presented and that they will give a fair decision.  Finally, please ask God to grant the pastor and his wife peace about their situation. Pray that He will protect and provide for them and that He will lead them to the place He wants them to be.

Thank you

CSW Advocacy Team

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June 15, 2006   Urgent Action: Cuban pastor in detention

Dear Friend,

We would ask for your urgent prayers on behalf of Cuban Pastor Carlos Lamelas, his wife, Uramis and 12-year-old daughter.  Pastor Lamelas, a Church of God ordained pastor, who was first detained on February 20, continues to languish in prison, although the Cuban government has not informed the family of any official charges. 

In a conversation with Uramis earlier today, she told CSW that she is extremely depressed that the situation has not changed and that she is concerned for her husband who has been unwell. 

Pastor Lamelas was initially accused of aiding Cubans attempting to emigrate illegally, however, most who know the pastor believe that the government is targeting him because he has been outspoken about issues regarding religious freedom. 

Uramis wept as she told CSW that while she is allowed to see her husband once a week, there is always someone observing them and they are unable to speak freely.  She is also worried about their daughter who she says has suffered from illness.

Please pray for the entire family:

• Pray that Pastor Lamelas would be freed and allowed to return to his family and to his church

• Pray for strength and encouragement for Pastor Lamelas, Uramis and their daughter through this difficult situation

• Pray for wisdom for Uramis as she seeks ways to help Pastor Lamelas and to protect their daughter

We would also ask you to consider writing to your representatives in Congress:

ADDRESSES:  

Write to your Senator at U.S. Senate, Washington, DC 20510, or your Representative at U.S. House of Representatives, Washington, DC 20515.  (Call the Capitol Hill Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 to find out your Congressperson’s name). 

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice
U.S. Department of State
2201 C Street NW
Washington, DC 20520
Fax: (202) 261-8577 
Phone: (202) 647-4000
Email: secretary@state.gov  

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December 2, 2004   Prayer for possible release of Dr. Biscet 

Dear Friends,

I am writing to request your continued prayers for Dr. Oscar Elias Biscet, a Christian human rights and democracy activist who has been imprisoned in Cuba for almost 2 years.  CSW learned today that he was among 18 other political prisoners who were transferred to a hospital in the Combinando del Este prison in Havana . 

In the past few days, a number of other political prisoners were transferred to the hospital in Havana before being released from prison altogether.  There are hopes that Dr. Biscet will also be released to join his wife Elsa Morejón.

As many of you who have followed the case know, Dr. Biscet was detained almost 2 years ago, on December 6^th, 2002.  He was later sentenced to 25 years in prison along with scores of other human rights and democracy activists in a major crackdown on dissidents in March 2003.

He has been confined in a punishment cell for long periods of time over the past two years, has been denied food at times, and his health has suffered enormously. His detention came just one month after he had finished serving a three-year sentence for his human rights activities.

I would also like to ask that you pray for European leaders who must decide in the next few weeks how to react to the recent releases of political prisoners in Cuba .  On December 14^th, leaders from each of the European countries will meet to work out a common EU policy towards Cuba .  There have been efforts from some countries, particularly Spain , but also the United Kingdom and Germany to mend relations with Fidel Castro's government which have been virtually non-existent since the March 2003 crackdown.  One of the most contentious decisions that will be brought to the table is whether the EU countries should continue inviting dissidents and families of political prisoners to their embassies for national celebrations.  This is a policy that has been strongly supported by leaders from EU countries that suffered under communist governments, most notably former political prisoner, Vaclav Havel from the Czech Republic .  It has also been of enormous encouragement to the families of political prisoners and dissidents, many of whom are Christians. 

While CSW would welcome the release of Dr. Biscet, we remain concerned that hundreds more men and women remain in prison under horrendous conditions.  One of them, Jorge Luis Garcia Perez or "Antúnez", who is also supported by CSW, has now been in prison since 1990, and like many others has very serious health problems.  In terms of religious freedom, the information CSW has received seems to indicate that the situation is deteriorating significantly and pastors do not expect it to improve.  We are concerned that the release of a few prominent prisoners may be a political ploy on the part of Cuba to improve relations with the European Union while arrests and mistreatment of scores of other, less well-known, dissidents continue under the cloak of obscurity.

Please pray for Dr. Biscet and his wife Elsa - while remembering the hundred of other political prisoners who remain in captivity. Please also pray for the leaders of EU, that their actions and decisions on December 14^th would be inspired by a sincere desire for justice and respect for human rights in Cuba .  Please also pray for church leaders in Cuba who continue to work in a state of uncertainty.

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December 2, 2004   Prominent Christian human rights activist could be set for release

Dr Oscar Elias Biscet was among 18 other political prisoners who were transferred on the night of November 30 to a hospital in the Combinando del Este prison in Havana .

In the past few days, a number of other political prisoners have been transferred to the hospital in Havana before being released from prison altogether. There are hopes that Dr Biscet will also be released to join his wife Elsa Morejón.

Dr Biscet is a prominent Cuban Christian human rights and democracy activist who has been imprisoned in Cuba for almost two years.

Dr Biscet's transfer to Havana comes at a time when European leaders must decide in the next few weeks how to react to the recent releases of political prisoners in Cuba . On December 14, leaders from each of the European countries will meet to work out a common EU policy towards Cuba .  There have been efforts from some countries, particularly Spain , but also the United Kingdom and Germany to mend relations with Fidel Castro's government which have been virtually non-existent since the March 2003 crackdown. 

One of the most contentious decisions that will be brought to the table is whether the EU countries should continue inviting dissidents and families of political prisoners to their embassies for national celebrations.  This is a policy that has been strongly supported by leaders from EU countries that suffered under communist governments, most notably former political prisoner, Vaclav Havel from the Czech Republic .  It has also been of enormous encouragement to the families of political prisoners and dissidents, many of whom are Christians. 

NOTES TO EDITORS:

Dr Biscet was detained on December 6, 2002 for organizing informal discussion meetings for the 'Friends of Human Rights' groups he was trying to establish. He was later sentenced to 25 years in prison along with scores of other human rights and democracy activists in a major crackdown on dissidents in March 2003.

He has been confined in a punishment cell for long periods of time over the past two years, has been denied food at times, and his health has suffered enormously. His detention came just one month after he had finished serving a three-year sentence for his human rights activities.

Many more dissidents remain in prison, including Jorge Luis Garcia Perez or 'Antúnez', who is another prisoner supported by CSW. He has been in prison since 1990, and like many others, has very serious health problems. 

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July 13, 2004  Urgent action for two mistreated prisoners of conscience

Dear Friends,

Two disturbing stories have come out of Cuba in the past week, both about CSW-supported prisoners on whose behalf many of you have prayed and campaigned.

We would like to request your urgent prayer for Jorge Luis Garcia Perez (also called Antúnez), who was savagely beaten and tortured last week, and for Dr Oscar Elias Biscet, from whom prison officials are reportedly withholding food rations.

We would also like to ask that you consider writing to your Member of Congress, asking them to raise these cases urgently with Secretary of State Colin Powell, and the Cuban authorities.  Please find the case and contact details below.

CASE DETAILS:

Antúnez:  Jorge Luis Garcia Perez was savagely beaten and tortured by prison guards last week after requesting to see letters and cards of solidarity that had been sent to him from around the world.

After being thrown to the floor of the prison, kicked and beaten, Jorge Luis Garcia Perez, also called Antúnez, who has been in prison for 14 years and is recognized by Amnesty International as a prisoner of conscience, had both of his arms shackled and then pulled in opposite directions, resulting in bleeding from the neck and sustained difficulties in breathing.

The attack took place during a visit by relatives, including his sister, Berta Antúnez Pernet, who said that she was also beaten on the back and neck as she tried to intervene physically to stop the beating.  Two children aged two and nine were also present and the older child was struck on the back by a prison guard. 

Jorge Luis had requested that the prison officials give letters and cards that he had received from around the world to his sister.  At the end of the visit the official in charge stated that he would not give her the letters and cards.  According to Berta Antúnez, the attack began when Jorge Luis questioned the official's actions and said he would not remain silent about such an injustice.

"The world should not think that because this government released some political prisoners there exists any desire on its part to change.  The threats and beatings continue in the prisons, as does the jailing of more activists.  Our family and our lives are in serious danger," said Bertha Antúnez.

Dr Biscet:  Dr Biscet, a Cuban Christian prisoner of conscience, has been denied food rations by prison authorities for nearly three weeks. They are preventing other prisoners from bringing daily food rations to him, according to a statement smuggled out of the prison by his wife. 

In the letter Dr Biscet says, "Since June 17, I haven't had any food brought to me, practically forcing me to be on a hunger strike. No one has given me an explanation for this, not even the prison director."

Dr Biscet and the prison director made an agreement when he was first transferred from an isolation cell to a cell with common prisoners, that he would not be forced to eat in the prison dining hall, where according to him, "there is inadequate hygiene, fights amongst prisoners and violations exist regarding the quality, quantity and cleanliness of the food." 

Even taking this into account, Dr Biscet is still clearly being targeted. He explains: "This new reprisal is directed only against me since there are other prisoners who refuse to eat at the prison dining hall and their food rations are presently brought to them." 

The prison officials have not responded to requests by Dr Biscet's family to bring him food from outside the prison. According to his wife, Elsa Morejon Hernandez, Dr Biscet has lost about 60 pounds since being moved to the Kilo 8 prison and his teeth have completely deteriorated because of a lack of proper medical attention. 

Elsa also states that Dr Biscet, who will turn 43 on July 20, has only been allowed two family visits since January and is not permitted to contact them by telephone.  He is being kept in a windowless cell together with 12 common prisoners, some of whom are serving up to 65 years for violent crimes. There is no ventilation and they are not provided with mattresses or adequate water for washing.

Thank you for your support and prayers on behalf of Dr. Biscet and Antúnez along with their families,

CSW Advocacy Team

ADDRESSES:  

Write to your Senator at U.S. Senate, Washington, DC 20510, or your Representative at U.S. House of Representatives, Washington, DC 20515.  (Call the Capitol Hill Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 to find out your Congressperson’s name). 

Secretary of State Colin L. Powell
U.S. Department of State
2201 C Street NW
Washington, DC 20520
Fax: (202) 261-8577 
Phone: (202) 647-4000
Email: secretary@state.gov

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July 7, 2004   Cuban Christian prisoner of conscience denied food  

Dr Oscar Elias Biscet, a Cuban Christian prisoner of conscience, has been denied food rations by prison authorities for nearly three weeks. They are even preventing other prisoners from bringing daily food rations to him, according to a statement smuggled out of the prison by his wife.

In the letter Dr Biscet says, "Since June 17, I haven't had any food brought to me, practically forcing me to be on a hunger strike. No one has given me an explanation for this, not even the prison director."

Dr Biscet and the prison director made an agreement when he was first transferred from an isolation cell to a cell with common prisoners, that he would not be forced to eat in the prison dining hall, where according to him, "there is inadequate hygiene, fights amongst prisoners and violations exist regarding the quality, quantity and cleanliness of the food."

Even taking this into account, Dr Biscet is still clearly being targeted. He explains: "This new reprisal is directed only against me since there are other prisoners who refuse to eat at the prison dining hall and their food rations are presently brought to them."

The prison officials have not responded to requests by Dr Biscet's family to bring him food from outside the prison. According to his wife, Elsa Morejon Hernandez, Dr Biscet has lost about 60 pounds since being moved to the Kilo 8 prison and his teeth have completely deteriorated because of a lack of proper medical attention.

Morejon Hernandez also states that Dr Biscet, who will turn 43 on July 20, has only been allowed two family visits since January and is not permitted to contact them by telephone. He is being kept in a windowless cell together with 12 common prisoners, some of whom are serving up to 65 years for violent crimes. There is no ventilation and they are not provided with mattresses or adequate water for washing.

CSW is calling on the UK government and the European Union to urge the Cuban authorities to ensure that Dr Biscet is given proper and adequate nutrition as well as any necessary medical treatment in line with the UN's Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners.

NOTES TO EDITORS:

Dr Biscet was sentenced to 25 years in prison, under Article 91 of the Cuban Constitution, on 7 April 2003, following a massive crackdown on human rights activists across the island. His detention was one of many seemingly designed to cripple a quickly growing grassroots pro-democracy and human rights movement that had gained international attention and support.

After the sentencing he was held in Kilo 5 1/2 Prison until November 2003 when he was transferred to Kilo 8 Prison in Pinar del Rio, a day's journey from his family home in Havana. He was held in solitary confinement in a cell with no natural light for most of the first year of his imprisonment.

The Cuban State Security's practice of confining political prisoners together with common prisoners, many of whom have been convicted of violent crimes, has been condemned repeatedly by human rights groups within and outside of Cuba. Numerous testimonies suggest that the common prisoners are often encouraged by the State Security officials to harass and abuse the political prisoners with whom they are being held.

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April 29, 2004   Update on Juan Carlos

Dear Friends,

Thank you for your rapid response in the past two weeks to urgent action in Cuba. We wanted to let you know the outcome of Juan Carlos Gonzalez Leiva's trial in Cuba.

At the last minute the Cuban government changed the date of Juan Carlos' trial to Monday, April 26 at 9am. This move, typical of the Cuban authorities, made it difficult for international groups to mobilize any kind of presence at the trial.

The court in Ciego de Avila sentenced Juan Carlos Gonzalez Leiva to four years in prison. This means that Juan Carlos will only serve two more years as he has already spent two years in prison. While CSW firmly believes that Juan Carlos should never have been arrested in the first place, much less convicted, we are somewhat encouraged that the court announced that he should serve these two years under house arrest.

Juan Carlos has vowed to continue to fight for the respect of human rights. CSW will go on monitoring his situation and his treatment by the Cuban government. We plan on being in regular contact with him and his family and will send out an alert if action is needed. Please continue to pray for Juan Carlos and his wife Maritza.

If you would like to send a letter of encouragement to Juan Carlos contact CSW at information@cswusa.com. 

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April 27 2004   Blind Christian lawyer given four years for his stand for human rights

Juan Carlos Gonzalez Leiva, a blind Christian human rights lawyer, was given a four year sentence yesterday for his stand for human rights in Cuba.

He was tried in his home town of Ciego de Avila and no international observers were allowed at the trial, only relatives of the defendants. He was convicted of 'disrespect against the Head of State' along with other charges of 'public disorder, disobedience, and resisting authority'. The authorities have not yet specified whether the two years he has already spent in prison will count towards the four year sentence. Juan Carlos acted as his own lawyer and he was tried along with nine others, one of which, according to family members at the trial, was revealed as a state agent. He is currently being held under house arrest.

Juan Carlos was arrested in March 2002 with nine others who had gathered at a local hospital in an attempt to draw attention to the plight of a journalist who had been admitted there after being attacked by Cuban police. The group entered the hospital where they prayed for the hospitalized reporter and shouted slogans like "Up with human rights" and "Christ the King lives". They then sat down in a side hallway in silent protest. An hour later the group was surrounded by the rapid response unit of the local security forces who beat them before taking them into custody. Juan Carlos was severely beaten by government security agents and suffered a blow to the head, which required four stitches.

Juan Carlos has carried out a number of lengthy hunger strikes to protest his arrest and his health has suffered greatly as a result. He has reported ongoing mistreatment at the hands of the prison authorities.

Juan Carlos has been active in the Cuban democracy movement and the Varela Project (a petition of those calling for a national referendum on whether people favor civil liberties such as freedom of speech and the right to free assembly).

CSW met with him three weeks before his arrest. At the time he spoke of his hope for the future of human rights and democracy in Cuba.

NOTES TO EDITORS:

Earlier this month the European Parliament passed a resolution condemning Cuba's treatment of dissidents and the continued repression and imprisonment of men and women dedicated to respect for basic human rights and democracy. A week later the United Nations Commission on Human Rights passed a similarly critical resolution on Cuba's record on human rights.

A CSW delegation met with his wife, Maritza Calderín Columbié earlier this year. She told CSW that she was forced to make frequent journeys to the prison, which is located approximately one day's journey from their home in Ciego de Avila, in order to provide him with enough food to survive.

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April 23, 2004   CSW calls for international observers to attend trial of blind Christian activist 

A blind Christian human rights activist will be put on trial in Cuba after spending more than two years in prison. CSW calls on the Cuban government to permit the presence of international and impartial observers at the trial.

According to Human Rights Watch (HRW), Juan Carlos Gonzalez Leiva will go to trial on Tuesday, April 27, along with nine other dissidents and human rights activists. The Cuban government has requested that he be sentenced to six years in prison.

The announcement came on the same day as the European Parliament passed a resolution condemning Cuba's treatment of dissidents and the continued repression and imprisonment of men and women dedicated to respect for basic human rights and democracy and only one week after the United Nations Commission on Human Rights passed a similarly critical resolution on Cuba's record on human rights. Juan Carlos is a lawyer and has been active in the Cuban democracy movement and the Varela Project. CSW met with him three weeks before his arrest. At the time he spoke of his hope for the future of human rights and democracy in Cuba.

CSW has launched an urgent action campaign to encourage supporters to write to the Cuban authorities with a view to getting permission to have an international observer at the trial.

Alexa Papadouris, CSW-UK's Advocacy Director, said: "CSW calls on the UN and the EU, along with other members of the international community, to follow through on their words and resolutions with firm action on behalf of this brave defender of human rights. We encourage them to demand the presence of impartial international observers at his trial."

NOTES TO EDITORS:

Juan Carlos Gonzalez Leiva, who was arrested on March 4, 2002, along with a number of human rights activists, has reported continued ill-health and mistreatment at the hands of the prison authorities. A CSW delegation met with his wife, Maritza Calderín Columbié earlier this year. She told CSW that she was forced to make frequent journeys to the prison, which is located approximately one day's journey from their home in Ciego de Avila, in order to provide him with enough food to survive.

Juan Carlos was formally charged with 'public disorder, disobedience, resisting authority and acts of disrespect' late in summer 2002 but has not been given a trial until now. The Cuban government never gave a reason for the delay but observers believe the government has been concerned due to the high level of international attention his case has received. Last October the Cuban government reportedly told his wife that he would be tried within days, but this never took place.

During his arrest Juan Carlos was severely beaten by government security agents and suffered a blow to the head, which required four stitches. He and a number of other human rights activists had gathered at a local hospital in an attempt to draw attention to the plight of a journalist who had been admitted there after being attacked by Cuban police. The group entered the hospital where they proceeded to pray for the hospitalized reporter and shouted slogans like "Up with human rights" and "Christ the King Lives". They then sat down in a side hallway in silent protest. An hour later the group was surrounded by the rapid response unit of the local security forces who beat them before taking them into custody. Juan Carlos has carried out a number of lengthy hunger strikes to protest his arrest and his health has suffered greatly as a result.

The Varela project is a petition of those calling for a national referendum on whether people favor such civil liberties as freedom of speech and the right to free assembly. The petition exploits a provision in the Cuban constitution which says that Cuba should hold a referendum if more than 10,000 of the population ask for one.

According to HRW, the other defendants include dissidents, Lázaro Iglesias Estrada, Enrique García Morejón, Antonio Marcelino García Morejón, Delio Laureano Requejo Rodríguez, Virgilio Mantilla Arango, Odalmis Hernández Márquez, and Ana Peláez García and at least two independent journalists Léxter Téllez Castro and Carlos Brizuela Year.

SAMPLE LETTER

Please use the following letter as a guide. Please try to personalize when sending as a fax.

Write to your Senator at U.S. Senate, Washington, DC 20510, or your Representative at U.S. House of Representatives, Washington, DC 20515.  (Call the Capitol Hill Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 to find out your Congressperson’s name). 

Secretary of State Colin L. Powell
U.S. Department of State
2201 C Street NW
Washington, DC 20520
Fax: (202) 261-8577 
Phone: (202) 647-4000
Email: secretary@state.gov

Dear Mr./ Mrs. _________

I am writing in regard to the case of Juan Carlos Gonzalez Leiva, a blind human rights activist who has been held in prison for the two years. It has come to my attention that the Cuban government has announced that he, along with the other nine men and women with whom he was arrested, will be put on trial on Tuesday, April 27th.

I am sure many members of our government have been watching this case and appreciate all the efforts made on Mr. Gonzalez Leiva's behalf. I would like to ask you to maintain these efforts by requesting permission to send an observer to Mr. Gonzalez Leiva's trial to ensure that it is fair. Please emphasize the importance of an open and fair trial to the Cuban government officials.

Thank you again for your continued efforts to promote democracy and human rights in Cuba and in particular for your efforts on behalf of Mr. Gonzalez Leiva.

Yours sincerely,

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March 9, 2004   Cuban about to start 15th year in prison just for calling for reforms

Christian Solidarity Worldwide calls on the international community to push for the release of Cuban prisoner of conscience, Jorge Luís García Perez, who has now spent 14 years in abysmal conditions inside Cuban prisons.

He was arrested and imprisoned on March 15, 1990 and charged with 'verbal enemy propaganda' for shouting: "We don't want communism, we need reforms!" in a public square during the live broadcast of the inauguration of the Fourth Congress of the Cuban Communist Party. He is now 39 and sometimes also known as Antúnez.

He was sentenced to five years' imprisonment in the Alambradas de Manacas Prison. Inside prison he suffered repeated beatings by the prison guards for his refusals to participate in mandatory Marxist 'reeducation'. 

In autumn 1992 he was transferred to a labor camp. While there he requested permission to visit his mother who was on her deathbed in a hospital only 5 km from the camp. This permission was denied and, in his desperation, he escaped to see her. Security agents caught him the following day at the home of a friend and, as a punishment, set police dogs on him while he was handcuffed. In May 1993 he was sentenced to ten more years on top of the original five for 'enemy propaganda' and 'intent to inflict damage on government property'.

During the years he has spent in prison, he has consistently denounced the torture and other inhumane treatment which prisoners are forced to endure at the hands of the guards. He, along with two other prisoners, founded the Pedro Luis Boitel National Movement for Civil Resistance, which seeks to record and denounce maltreatment of political prisoners and to promote passive resistance among the prisoners. In retaliation, the authorities have repeatedly confiscated his Bible and denied him water, medical attention and clothes. Antúnez has often gone on hunger strikes to draw attention to the prisoners' plight. As a result his health has suffered enormously.

During the Papal visit to Cuba in 1998, the Pope included Antúnez's name on the list of political prisoners for whose freedom he was petitioning. However Antúnez remains in prison and is now held in the Convenedor del Este in Havana. 

CSW representatives met with Antúnez's sister, Bertha Antunez Pernet, in early 2002. At the time she expressed her appreciation for continued efforts by the international community on her brother's behalf. In a letter to CSW, Antúnez said: "I write to you in hope and faith in the highest of high...The love of God, the homeland, the family and freedom is in the heart of every Cuban, and it is these feelings that will help us recover freedom sooner rather than later."

CSW continues to raise Antunez's case with the Cuban authorities and asks its supporters to write letters to their representatives in Congress to lobby for his release.

Tina Lambert, Advocacy Director of CSW-UK said: "While last year's mass arrest and detention of dozens of human rights and democracy activists received international attention there are other prisoners, like Antunez, who have now spent a considerable portion of their life behind bars. 

"Antunez's continued activism from within the prison walls on behalf of other prisoners suffering abuse should be a challenge to us all. The international community must be diligent in raising these cases with the Cuban authorities."

See our letter-writing guide for instructions on writing to your Senator or Representative

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March 4, 2004   CSW calls for the release of Blind Human Rights Activist in Cuba

Dear Friends,

Many of you have been following the case of blind human rights activist, Juan Carlos Gonzalez Leiva, who was arrested and imprisoned in Cuba in March 2002. Today marks the second anniversary of his imprisonment without trial.

It has been clear from the approach of the Cuban government to this case that they are hoping that the world will forget about Juan Carlos with the passage of time. We would like to ask for your support in order to demonstrate that this will not happen until he is made a free man

We would like to request that you write to your representatives in Congress, as well as our Secretary of State, requesting that they continue to pressure the Cuban government for his release and that they support a UN Human Rights Commission resolution condemning Cuba's human rights record at the forthcoming Commission on Human Rights in Geneva. 

BACKGROUND
Juan Carlos Gonzalez Leiva, who was arrested on the 4th of March 2002 along with a number of human rights activists, has reported continued ill-health and mistreatment at the hands of the prison authorities. Over the two years of his imprisonment he has suffered physical and psychological abuse at the hands of the authorities. His wife and other member of his family have also consistently reported harassment at the hands of the Cuban government.

Despite the repressive circumstances in which he finds himself, in December 2003 Gonzalez Leiva managed to write a seven page report on human rights in Cuba, with a focus on the treatment of prisoners, and to smuggle the document out of the prison. The document was originally written in Braille on corrugated cardboard and gives a unique picture of the horrific conditions and treatment endured by men and women inside Cuban prisons. Copies of this report are available from CSW, on request.

Although Gonzalez Leiva was formally charged with "public disorder, disobedience, resisting authority and acts of disrespect" late in the Summer of 2002, he has yet to be brought to trial. The Cuban government has given no reason for this delay however, many observers believe that they are in a quandary because of the high level of international attention his case has received. 

Two years ago, Juan Carlos was severely beaten by government security agents and suffered a blow to the head, which required four stitches. He and a number of other human rights activists had gathered at a local hospital in an attempt to draw attention to the plight of a journalist who had been admitted there after being attacked by Cuban police. The group entered the hospital where they proceeded to pray for the hospitalized reporter and shouted slogans like "Up with human rights" and "Long live Christ the King". They then sat down in a side hallway in silent protest. An hour later the group was surrounded by the rapid response unit of the local security forces, who beat them before taking them into custody. Juan Carlos has carried out a number of lengthy hunger strikes to protest his arrest and his health has suffered greatly as a result. 

CSW met with Juan Carlos, who is also a lawyer and has been active in the Cuban democracy movement and the Varela Project, three weeks before his arrest. At the time he spoke of his hope for the future of human rights and democracy in Cuba. 

Please write to:

Write to your Senator at U.S. Senate, Washington, DC 20510, or your Representative at U.S. House of Representatives, Washington, DC 20515.  (Call the Capitol Hill Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 to find out your Congressperson’s name). 

Secretary of State Colin L. Powell
U.S. Department of State
2201 C Street NW
Washington, DC 20520
Fax: (202) 261-8577 
Phone: (202) 647-4000
Email: secretary@state.gov

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January 15, 2004   Fears Rise for Cuban Christian Political Prisoner

Dear Friends,

CSW has recently received worrying news regarding Christian political prisoner Dr. Oscar Biscet and his wife Elsa Morejon in Cuba. Please read the press release (edited by CSW) included below, issued on January 3rd by the Lawton Foundation, the human rights organization founded by Dr. Biscet. We ask you to continue to lift up both Dr. Biscet and Elsa Morejon in your prayers.

INCARCERATED CUBAN PHYSICIAN DR. OSCAR E. BISCET's LIFE IN DANGER
Confined in a "dungeon" since November 2003
January 3, 2004

"My husband is unrecognizable since I last saw him four months ago; he is so thin, pale and ill looking", declared Elsa Morejon, wife of the Cuban civic leader, Dr. Oscar Elias Biscet Gonzalez, " these punishments are destroying him and if he continues where he is he will die."

Cuban prisoner of conscience, Dr. Oscar E. Biscet Gonzalez, who is serving a 25 year prison sentence, continues to be confined with a common criminal in a cell with no windows or light which he described as a "dungeon", for refusing to stand up to acknowledge the presence of prison guards and officials during the recount of prisoners. His punishment prohibits family visits, food supplies, toiletries, clothing, receiving or sending any correspondence, and going out in the sun.

Dr. Biscet informed his wife that all he asks is that his status as a political prisoner be respected by prison authorities who force him to follow disciplinary measures imposed upon common prisoners. He reiterated to his family that "the punishments imposed upon me are of a psychological nature and I am doing all in my power to endure them."

The Prison Director at Prison Kilo 8 informed Elsa Morejon that her husband "has no manners" since when he was forced by guards to stand during the prisoners' recount he cried out loud "down with the dictatorship".

Elsa Morejon, her brother and mother-in-law Hilda Gonzalez, traveled 80 kilometers from Havana to Kilo 8 Prison in the province of Pinar del Río and were able to see Dr. Biscet for 15 minutes after a long argument with high ranking prison officials, who reminded them Dr. Biscet is being punished and cannot receive any visits. This Cuban physician has only been permitted one family visit during the eight months he's been imprisoned in the province of Pinar del Rio.

Dr. Biscet previously served 3 years in prison and was released on October 31st, 2002, only to be re-arrested on December 6th, 2002, as he was to meet with human rights activists. On April 7th, 2003 he was tried summarily during a Cuban government crackdown, along with 75 other activists and independent journalists and was sentenced to 25 years for "serving as a mercenary to a foreign state."

Dr. Biscet, a 42-year-old black physician, follower of Ghandi and Martin Luther King, has been wearing only his underwear as he deems it unacceptable to wear a common prisoner's uniform because he considers himself innocent of the charges for which he was sentenced. He suffers from severe hypertension and gum infection.

Elsa Morejon holds the Cuban government responsible for the physical and mental well-being of her husband and urgently appeals to heads of state, leaders of political, civic, religious and professional organizations, the press, and all men and women of good will worldwide to demand before the Cuban government the unconditional and immediate freedom of Dr. Oscar Elias Biscet and all those prisoners whose only crime is to honor the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in their own country.
------------------------------------
Elsa Morejon Hernandez . Testimony by Elsa Morejon provided via telephone from Cuba. Recorded, transcribed and translated. Coalition of Cuban-American Women/ LAIDA CARRO  Email: Joseito76@aol.com

Prayer Points:
* Please pray for Dr. Biscet's emotional, physical and spiritual stamina and strength in the midst of these difficult circumstances.
* Ask God to send His Spirit to be a light and comfort to Dr. Biscet in the darkness of the Cuban dungeon.
* Pray that God would send encouragement and reassurance to Elsa during her separation from her husband.
* Pray for physical protection for both Dr. Biscet and Elsa.
* Pray for divine healing for Dr. Biscet's current medical ailments. 
* Pray that God would comfort and encourage their children, both of whom live in the United States.
* Please continue to pray for a change of heart in the Cuban government. Pray for a commitment to the human rights of all Cubans and for the release of political prisoners. 


Thank you for your continued commitment in praying for our brothers and sisters suffering in Cuba.

------------------------------

October 30, 2003   Hurry! Urgent Action for blind Cuban human rights activist

Dear Friends,

CSW has learned that Juan Carlos Gonzalez Leiva, a blind Christian human rights activist in Cuba who has now spent 1 1/2 years in prison will be put on trial sometime next week. We would appreciate it if you would consider faxing the Congress to ask them to press the Cuban government for the right to send an observer to the trial. 

Sources in Cuba have told us that the Cuban government informed Juan Carlos' wife, Maritza, that he would be tried on the first day of November along with the other nine men and women with whom he was originally arrested. The Cuban government has requested that he be sentenced to six years in prison.

Juan Carlos Gonzalez Leiva, who was arrested on the 4th of March, 2002, along with a number of human rights activists, has reported continued ill-health and mistreatment at the hands of the prison authorities. In a letter dated September 16th, 2003 he stated that he was feeling "very ill with bronchial congestion, head and eye pain, burning sensation in my nasal passages, as well as an itching and tingling sensation all over my skin that prevents me from getting any sleep."

Throughout his ordeal he has maintained an unbreakable faith in God - please pray that his faith will continue to be strengthened and will be a testimony to all those at his trial and those following his case both in Cuba and abroad.

BACKGROUND
Gonzalez Leiva was formally charged with 'public disorder, disobedience, resisting authority and acts of disrespect' late in the Summer of 2002. However, he has not been given a trial until now. The Cuban government never gave a reason for the delay. Many observers believe that they have been in a quandary because of the high level of international attention his case has received. 

During his arrest, Juan Carlos was severely beaten by government security agents and suffered a blow to the head, which required four stitches. He and a number of other human rights activists had gathered at a local hospital in an attempt to draw attention to the plight of a journalist who had been admitted there after being attacked by Cuban police. The group entered the hospital where they proceeded to pray for the hospitalized reporter and shouted slogans like "Up with human rights" and "Long live Christ the King". They then sat down in a side hallway in silent protest. An hour later the group was surrounded by the rapid response unit of the local security forces, who beat them before taking them into custody. Juan Carlos has carried out a number of lengthy hunger strikes to protest his arrest and his health has suffered greatly as a result. 

Juan Carlos is also a lawyer and has been active in the Cuban democracy movement and the Varela Project. CSW met with him three weeks before his arrest. At the time he spoke of his hope for the future of human rights and democracy in Cuba. 

----------------------------------

April 16, 2003  Dr. Oscar Elias Biscet of Cuba Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison

We are deeply saddened to report that Dr. Oscar Elias Biscet was sentenced to 25 years in prison by the Cuban authorities. He, along with over 80 other human rights activists and political dissidents, underwent summary trials, lasting no more than one day, last week. It was the largest such crackdown by the Cuban government in over a decade.

Dr. Biscet, however, was able to send a positive message through his wife, Elsa. "These are very good moments," he told her, referring to the overall situation in Cuba. Many analysts and the dissidents inside Cuba believe that the crackdown is a direct result of the Cuban government's fear of the growth of a grassroots democracy movement on the island.

Please continue to pray for Dr. Biscet and for Elsa as both face very difficult days ahead. 

Prayer Points: 
Please pray that God will continue to strengthen and inspire Dr. Biscet as he begins to serve his sentence. Pray that he will experience God's love in a constant and very real way inside the prison. Ask for his physical and emotional protection from abusive guards, abysmal prison conditions, and other prisoners.

Please pray that God will comfort and provide for Elsa. Pray that she will receive real support from her church and Christians inside Cuba and around the world. Ask God to show her what He would have her do now.

Please pray for all of the imprisoned dissidents and their families.

Please pray for the nation of Cuba - ask God to move the hearts of those in authority to make a real commitment to and respect for human rights for all Cubans.

---------------------------------------------

April 9, 2003  Cuban Christian Faces 25 Years in Prison For Promoting Human Rights

A prominent Cuban human rights activist faces 25 years in prison as part of a massive crackdown by the government on pro-democracy and human rights activists. Dr Oscar Elias Biscet was rearrested on December 6 2002 and charged with 'disorderly conduct', part of the arrest of some 80 men and women in the last two weeks of March. During his month of freedom he had involved himself in promoting a grassroots project called the Friends of Human Rights, a forum through which small groups of individuals could meet in homes to learn about human rights and ways to defend and demand them peacefully.  He was arrested when Cuban security forces attempted to forcibly prevent Dr Biscet and other human rights activists from entering one of these homes where a Friends of Human Rights meeting was to take place.  According to his wife, Elsa Morejón Hernandez, the authorities have asked that he be handed a 25 year sentence. 

Dr Biscet was released from prison last October 31, after serving a three-year sentence for hanging the Cuban flag upside down in protest at the lack of freedom in the country. His trial comes at the end of a massive crackdown on human rights and pro-democracy activists across the island. International observers were not allowed entry to his trial.

Some men and women, many of them active Christians, have already been sentenced to between 20 and 27 years in prison. 

In addition, CSW has learnt that last week Cuban authorities raided the home where his wife is staying and confiscated personal photos, a fax machine, and a personal computer among other items. This will severely restrict her ability to communicate with the outside world.  Dr Oscar Elias Biscet, 41, and a devout Christian, is the founder of the Lawton Foundation for Human Rights, which promotes the defence of all human rights through non-violent means. He has modelled his own work and that of the organisation on the civil rights movement led by Martin Luther King Jr. In 1994 he was officially accused of 'dangerousness' by the Cuban government and thereafter became a target of state security forces.  While in prison, his Bible has been confiscated a number of times as a punishment and he has consistently been denied the right to pastoral visits.  He has also been denied family visits, access to the prison library, and medical treatment, which led him to lose all of his molars after chronic problems with his gums. He is now in danger of losing all his teeth as treatment continues to be withheld. 

CSW has worked with MPs to produce an Early Day Motion for MPs to sign as well as mobilising its supporters to write to and fax Foreign Secretary Jack Straw and MEPs.  Mervyn Thomas, CSW's Chief Executive, said: "Dr Biscet is one of dozens of human rights activists that has been appallingly treated by the Cuban government.  "He is charged with 'disorderly conduct' and the authorities want to sentence him to 25 years behind bars. The government is requesting that others charged with similar offences be sentenced to life or even the death penalty.  "The international community should not stand aside and watch this happen, but pressure the Cuban government to reconsider its treatment of human rights activists."

March 14, 2003    CSW Calls on International Community to Press For Release of Cuban Prisoner of Conscience 

Christian Solidarity Worldwide calls on the international community to push for the release of Cuban prisoner of conscience, Jorge Luís García Perez, also known as "Antúnez", who has now spent 13 years in abysmal conditions inside Cuban prisons.

Antúnez, now 38, was arrested and imprisoned on March 15, 1990 and charged with 'verbal enemy propaganda' for shouting: "We don't want communism, we need reforms!" in a public square during the live broadcast of the inauguration of the Fourth Congress of the Cuban Communist Party. He was sentenced to five years' imprisonment in the Alambradas de Manacas Prison.  Inside prison he suffered repeated beatings by the prison guards for his refusals to participate in mandatory Marxist 're-education'. 

In autumn of 1992 he was transferred to a labor camp. While there he requested permission to visit his mother who was on her deathbed in a hospital only 5 km from the camp. This permission was denied and in his desperation he escaped to see her. Security agents apprehended him the following day at the home of a friend and as a punishment, set police dogs on him while he was handcuffed. In May 1993 he was sentenced to ten more years on top of the original five for 'enemy propaganda' and 'intent to inflict damage on government property'.

During the ten years he has spent in prison, he has consistently denounced the torture and other inhumane treatment which prisoners are forced to endure at the hands of the guards. He, along with two other prisoners, founded the Pedro Luis Boitel National Movement for Civil Resistance, which seeks to record and denounce maltreatment of political prisoners and to promote passive resistance among the prisoners to the abuse. In retaliation, the authorities have repeatedly confiscated his Bible and denied him water, medical attention and clothes. He has also been confined in solitary confinement in a 'tapiada' - a tiny, sealed cell with no light or bedding, typically overflowing with excrement and infested with rats and insects. Antúnez has repeatedly gone on hunger strikes to draw attention to the prisoners' plight, and his health has suffered enormously.

During the Papal visit to Cuba in 1998, the Pope included Antúnez's name on the list of political prisoners for whose freedom he was petitioning. He remains in prison, however, and is now held in the Convenedor del Este in Havana. There continue to be serious concerns for his health.

CSW representatives met with Antúnez's sister, Bertha Antunez Pernet, in early 2002. At the time she expressed her appreciation for continued efforts by the international community on her brother's behalf. Antúnez himself has also expressed his constant faith from inside prison. In a letter to CSW he said: "I write to you in hope and faith in the highest of high...The love of God, the homeland, the family and freedom is in the heart of every Cuban, and it is these feelings that will help us recover freedom sooner rather than later."

Mervyn Thomas, Executive Director of CSW-UK said: "The Cuban government has taken away 13 years of Antúnez's life simply because he has the courage to stand up for rights which we in the UK take for granted. The international community has stood by for too long while he and other prisoners have spent years of their life in jail for offences which have really been protests on behalf of human rights. CSW calls on the international community to speak up on their behalf.

"The fact that rather than becoming discouraged, he has used these 13 years to continue to fight for others' rights, is a challenge to us all."

-----------------------------------

December 11, 2002    Letter campaign for human rights activist rearrested in Cuba

Below are details of Dr Oscar Biscet who was rearrested just a few weeks after serving a three year sentence in prison in Cuba. He was originally imprisoned for organizing a peaceful march and has now been rearrested for promoting human rights awareness.

We would ask you to consider writing letters on his behalf 

Thank you

Dr Oscar Biscet, a human rights activist who was released from prison in Cuba on October 31, after serving a three year sentence has been rearrested. 

He was detained by police on December 6, at a home in the Lawton district of Havana.

According to the Lawton Foundation for Human Rights, since his release Dr Biscet has been promoting a grassroots project for the promotion of human rights called 'Friends of Human Rights'. 

The project attempts to provide a forum in which ordinary Cuban citizens who want to learn more about human rights can meet in small groups at homes for this purpose. The project is directed at educating Cuban citizens on their basic human rights and how to claim them.

Dr Biscet was arriving at one such meeting on December 6, when state security agents blocked the entrance and prevented him and 11 other individuals from entering. At that point the 12 Cubans, in an act of non-violent civil disobedience, lay down on the ground and shouted "Long live human rights!" and "Freedom for Cuban political prisoners!"  They were arrested and are being held at the 10th Unit of National Revolutionary Police on Acosta Avenue in Havana.

Dr Biscet, aged 41, and a devout Christian, is the founder of the Lawton Foundation for Human Rights, which promotes the defense of all human rights through non-violent means. He has modeled his own work and that of the organization on the civil rights movement led by Martin Luther King Jr. He has been detained 26 times and was only recently released from Cuban prison after serving a three year sentence for 'dishonoring public symbols', 'public disorder' and 'inciting delinquent behavior' after he organized a peaceful silent march in support of human rights and freedom for political prisoners in his neighborhood.

While in prison, Dr Biscet's Bible was confiscated a number of times as a punishment and he was consistently denied the right to pastoral visits. He was also frequently denied medical treatment, family visits and access to the prison library. He was repeatedly forced to share a cell with mentally ill inmates as a form of punishment. Cuba is one of the only countries in the world that bars the International Red Cross and other humanitarian agencies from visiting its prisons.

ACTION:
Please write to the following person expressing your concern and asking them to take immediate action.

Secretary of State Colin L. Powell
U.S. Department of State
2201 C Street NW
Washington, DC 20520
Fax: (202) 261-8577 
Phone: (202) 647-4000
Email: secretary@state.gov

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December 9, 2002   Human Rights Activist Rearrested After Peaceful Protest 

A human rights activist who was released from prison in Cuba on October 31 after serving a three- year sentence has been rearrested. 

Dr Oscar Elias Biscet was detained by police on December 6 at a home in the Lawton district of Havana.

According to the Lawton Foundation for Human Rights, since his release Dr Biscet has been promoting a grassroots project for the promotion of human rights called 'Friends of Human Rights'. 

The project attempts to provide a forum in which ordinary Cuban citizens who want to learn more about human rights can meet in small groups at homes for this purpose. The project is directed at educating Cuban citizens as to their basic human rights and how to claim them.

Dr Biscet was arriving at one such meeting on December 6 when state security agents blocked the entrance and prevented him and 11 other individuals from entering. At that point the 12 Cubans, in an act of non-violent civil disobedience, lay down on the ground and shouted "Long live human rights!" and "Freedom for Cuban political prisoners!"

They were arrested and are being held at the 10th Unit of National Revolutionary Police on Acosta Avenue in Havana.

Dr Biscet, 41,and  a devout Christian, is the founder of the Lawton Foundation for Human Rights, which promotes the defense of all human rights through non-violent means. He has modeled his own work and that of the organization on the civil rights movement led by Martin Luther King Jr. He has been detained 26 times and was only recently released from Cuban prison after serving a three- year sentence for 'dishonoring public symbols', 'public disorder' and 'inciting delinquent behavior' after he organized a peaceful silent march in support of human rights and freedom for political prisoners in his neighborhood.

While in prison, Dr Biscet's Bible was confiscated a number of times as a punishment and he was consistently denied the right to pastoral visits. He was also frequently denied medical treatment, family visits and access to the prison library. He was repeatedly forced to share a cell with mentally ill inmates as a form of punishment. Cuba is one of the only countries in the world that bars the International Red Cross and other humanitarian agencies from visiting its prisons. Christian Solidarity Worldwide has made representations to the European Union, the UK Foreign Office and Cuban Embassy in London and has asked supporters to do the same.

---------------------------------------

December 5 2002    Blind Cuban Lawyer Continues Protest After Three Months on Hunger Strike

A blind Christian lawyer who has been held in a Cuban prison for nine months has just completed three months of an ongoing liquid-only fast.  Juan Carlos Gonzalez Leiva has been held on charges of "acts of disrespect towards Fidel Castro, public disorder, resisting authority and disobedience" since March 5.

He now weighs just over 98 lbs, and as part of his protest against the regime, dresses all in black, has shaved his head and has not bathed since November 1.

In a letter smuggled out of Holguin Prison by his wife Maritza, he said: "I wish to inform the international community, all churches and human rights defenders, that the Cuban State Security forces are torturing me physically and psychologically.

"Recently I fell and received a blow on my head that left me stunned.  I was accompanying a guard who did not advise me the stairway had a step sticking out. Official Saguo took me to an interrogation chamber, held me there for four hours and ended by threatening to take my life.  "So often they do not take my blindness into consideration. This same official called me a 'counter-revolutionary' and said that if they had to kill 'counter-revolutionaries', they would do so. I am only a peaceful human rights defender and will be until I die.

"A world of horror hides behind these walls. If I perish attempting to bring them down, others will carry on."

Juan Carlos, President of both the Cuban Human Rights Foundation and the Brotherhood of the Independent Blind People of Cuba, was arrested along with several other human rights activists on March 5 in Ciego de Avila. 

His trial, scheduled for mid-September, never took place. Now his wife says prison officials have told her they have no idea when his trial will take place as his case documents have been sent to Havana to be 'analyzed'. 

At his arrest he was severely beaten by government security agents and suffered a blow to the head, which required four stitches. He and a number of other human rights activists had gathered at a local hospital in an attempt to draw attention to the plight of a journalist who had been admitted there after being attacked by Cuban police. 

Juan Carlos was transferred to the State Security Facility in Holguin Province, making it extremely difficult and expensive for his family and lawyer to visit him. He has repeatedly charged the Cuban government with psychological torture and the withholding of medical treatment. 

He has been denied the right to keep his cane, glasses and a Braille Bible.  His wife has also received threats for relaying his declarations to the international community.

CSW met with this active member of the Baptist Church last February in Havana. At the time he spoke of his hope for the future of human rights and democracy in Cuba. 

Juan Carlos and other human right's workers believe that the Cuban government is unsure of what to do with him because of the high level of international attention his case has received. He states in his open letter, "Those who hold me prisoner have said on many occasions that international opinion does not worry them. But many times when they  are carrying out their evil deeds against me as a prisoner and blind man, I notice sudden changes in their attitude which prove later to be evidence that letters were sent; public actions and statements were carried out on my behalf. As a result, at least for a while, they stop their evil abuses."
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September 6, 2002    Blind Cuban Human Rights Activist Faces Up to Six Years in Prison for "Resisting Authority"

Juan Carlos, a blind Christian human rights activist imprisoned since March 2002 has learned that he could face up to six years in prison.

His wife Maritza has been told that he will be charged with 'acts of disrespect towards Fidel Castro, public disorder, resisting authority, and disobedience', according to the Coalition of Cuban American Women. The prosecutor's office in Ciego de Avila is recommending that he be given a six-year prison sentence.

Juan Carlos Gonzalez Leiva, President of both the Cuban Human Rights Foundation and the Brotherhood of the Independent Blind People of Cuba, was arrested along with several other human rights activists on March 5 in Ciego de Avila. He was severely beaten by government security agents and suffered a blow to the head, which required four stitches. Juan Carlos and a number of other human rights activists had gathered at a local hospital in an attempt to draw attention to the plight of a journalist who had been admitted there after being attacked by Cuban police. 

Juan Carlos, 27, was transferred to the State Security Facility in Holguin Province, making it extremely difficult and expensive for his family and lawyer to visit him. He has been held there for over five months without being charged and he has repeatedly accused the Cuban government of psychological torture and withholding of medical treatment. 

He has been denied the right to keep his cane, glasses and a Braille Bible. According to written declarations by Gonzalez, his health has suffered drastically and he fears for his life. His wife has also received threats for relaying his declarations to the international community.

CSW met with the 27-year-old Gonzalez, who is also a lawyer and an active member of the Baptist Church, last February in Havana. At the time Gonzalez spoke of his hope for the future of human rights and democracy in Cuba. 

CSW continues to call for the immediate release of Gonzalez and his fellow human rights activists. The other imprisoned men include five human rights defenders, Delio Laureano Requejo, Lázaro Iglesias Estrada, Virgilio Mantilla Arango, Enrique García Morejón, and Antonio García Morejón, and two independent journalists, Léxter Téllez Castro and Carlos Brizuela Yera. 

In a letter from Gonzalez dated July 23, he said: "Politics are not my concern, I only obey orders given to me by God, that is, raise my voice, my arms and give all my heart to defend the indispensable human rights. I do not know what will become of me but I have placed myself in the Hands of God, prepared to die with love this very instant."

CSW calls on the US government to continue to press for Juan Carlos's release."

The English translation of the text of Juan Carlos's July 23rd letter follows.


NOTES TO EDITORS:

The full text of Juan Carlos' July 23 follows:

I have been incarcerated along with seven other fellow human rights activists since last March 4 for staging a peaceful protest in Ciego de Avila. We are all accused of "public disorder" and "contempt towards Fidel Castro". 

In a recent visit to our country, ex-president Carter reminded president Fidel Castro in a conference at the University of Havana, that Cuba has signed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Every signatory state is obliged to include these principles in their own internal laws and respect them. A few months ago, the Cuban president himself said he would publish a million copies in the Granma newspaper. The honorable ex-president Carter spoke to the Cuban people in a wise and respectful manner. But the answer given by the Cuban ruler was: " socialism is untouchable." 

Thus, who can give me an explanation why eight human rights activists including myself have been imprisoned for almost 5 months for peacefully protesting the injustice and aggression perpetrated against another activist? We remain in prison as millions around the world stand up for themselves in their countries - a custom and a right they possess. Take note of recent events that took place in Argentina.

We just made use of our right of freedom of expression. None of us touched or harmed anyone. We just cried out:" Hail Christ the King! Long Live Human Rights! Down with Fidel!" In exchange we received a beating - I often think some of my bones were dislocated. I have suffered terribly, both mentally and physically, since this event took place. The State Security is trying to bring us before a tribunal that would sentence us from 2 - 6 years in prison.

I wish to denounce that, presently, State Security placed a dangerous watchman who follows me daily like a shadow. This is the same man who shared my prison cell and threatened to kill me - a thief who steals my food, among other things. He is a prisoner condemned to 10 years for stealing pigs on a large scale, who also cut off the arms of several people with a sort of short machete. This mentally disturbed prisoner moves slyly like a venomous snake to get close to me, aware that I am blind. He ignores how acutely the rest of our senses are developed. His name is Julio Rodríguez González, age 38, and a resident of a place called Mella in the province of Santiago de Cuba. The head of the State Security Unit is responsible for all this. I am not afraid since I trust in God. My only wish is that this be known.

I continue to suffer awful chest pains, which run down my arms and hands, as well as claustrophobia caused by my imprisonment. I still have problems with my blood pressure and, very often, feel pain in my right eye. At times, I hear ringing in my ears and I have pain in the area of the liver, as well as chronic gastritis.

Nonetheless, my worst ailment is my love for the Everlasting Living God, for Cuba, and for all those individuals in the world who perform good deeds so that God's plans are carried out. This sickness has no cure.

Politics are not my concern, I only obey orders given to me by God, that is, raise my voice, my arms and give all my heart to defend the indispensable human rights. I do not know what will become of me but I have placed myself in the Hands of God, prepared to die with love this very instant.

God bless the world. I reiterate my gratitude to all men and women of good will, governments, important institutions, and all those who struggle for our freedom.

JUAN CARLOS GONZALEZ LEIVA

Testimony provided via telephone from Cuba by Maritza Calderin, wife of Juan Carlos Gonzalez Leiva.

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June 6, 2002   Blind Human Rights Activist Says Thanks

Juan Carlos Gonzalez Leiva, a blind human rights activist in Cuba who was imprisoned on March 4 has written to thank all those who have taken up his case. 

The press release relating to his case can be found on the CSW website (www.csw.org.uk) or by copying and pasting the web address which follows onto your address bar: http://www.csw.org.uk/Latestnews.asp?Item=288 

On the website under the protest icon at the top of the story are links to sites which enable you to fax your MP and/or email/write to your MEP which would help raise awareness of his case.

He writes from prison in Holguin, Cuba and his letter is dated May 27 2002:

"I would like to send an embrace to all of my brothers and sisters across the sea and here in our own country who have been fighting for my liberty. 

"But I would particularly like to give thanks to our Lord who is here with me each hour, strengthening me in my moments of weakness. He is always at my side.

"I want to denounce the way that the State Security has isolated me - not allowing me to send letters or to have any communication with my family. For example, when I sent a letter to my oldest sister explaining about my illness, the pain in my chest, and my delicate state of health they didn't allow it to get to her. I dictated to my brother a letter for my wife in front of them [state security agents]. They allowed me to do this but when my brother left they took it away from him. Later, I wrote to my lawyer and they confiscated this - telling me that I didn't need to talk about my problems to a stranger and that my vocabulary had been too strong, that I needed to change some of the words. Finally I wrote my declaration for the tribunal. They were bothered by this and worried that some Americans or other foreigners would publish it. But despite this, I was able to give it to my wife. I know that releasing this document to the public will cause problems for my wife, my family, and me. But no one, no man will change my opinion regarding freedom, human rights and the other beautiful things that God gives us when we believe.

"In these moments, I have problems with my nerves, with my blood pressure, and I have a very strong pain in my chest. I am not saying that the State Security is giving me chemical substances, but there are times when I have thought this. They have every opportunity to do this and I don't have eyes with which to see what they are giving me to drink or to eat. I was a healthy man and now I am a sick man, with a tendency to get worse. I am worried but God strengthens me.

"The public should know that here there are many tiny cells with cement beds - they resemble tombs. They put men in these cells for two or three months, until they go mad. I have heard two or three of them crying at night - begging for help and for psychotropic drugs. The answer they receive is "why do you go looking for trouble?"

"Regarding my family - they give them misinformation - they tell them that I am fine when I have had health problems. Last week I was vomiting and had pain in my chest. They told my wife, who generally calls two times a day to find out how I am, that I was fine.

"I said this in an earlier letter, but today I want to repeat it. I will never make any attempt on my own life. I will never do it. I would prefer to become ashes, thrown over the city, as was done with [the patriot] Agramonte, before renouncing my principles."

Juan Carlos Gonzalez Leiva

He also managed to get out a letter which he submitted to the Municipal Tribunal which accused him of Public Disorder and Disrespect to Fidel Castro. The letter follows:

Holguin, Cuba 27 May 2002, 10:00 PM

To the Municipal Tribunal of Ciego de Avila

I come before this judicial body accused of the crimes of "Public Disorder" and "Disrespect to Fidel Castro". This accusation puts your ethics under suspicion and goes against the Constitution and the laws in force as this entity is charged with looking after the interests of legality. I have made complaints through letters about the brutal beatings and the assault on my person five years ago at the hands of the State Security and I have never received even one answer.

The violent aggression by the police against the independent reporter Jesus Alvarez Castillo, which left him with a cervical lesion, serious headaches and vomiting, was what directed me to go to the Provincial Hospital of Ciego de Avila last March 4th. I was very worried to find Alvarez Castillo in a wheelchair, groaning incessantly with pain and anguish, and we, various friends and I, cried out for medical assistance. Faced with the indignation and the pain caused by this serious injustice we lifted our voices, crying out: "Christ the King lives!" "Long live human rights!" "Down with Fidel!" Certain people, I suppose they were hospital staff, asked us to leave the area and we moved into a nearby hall, doing our utmost so that we wouldn't obstruct the normal functioning of the hospital at any time. There was not one act against the property or against the functioning of the hospital. However, we also did not want to leave the place without some kind of guarantee for the life of Alvarez