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Increasing repression throughout Cuba as regime tries to disguise its international image
By Cuban Democratic Directorate

Cuba, April 28, 2014. Cuban Democratic Directorate. Physical assaults, death threats, raids on homes, arrests and arbitrary trials suspended and sanctions to prison for human rights defenders is the balance of last week in Cuba while Dictator Raul Castro continues international campaign on supposed reforms on the island.

 

"I want to denounce Castro’s regime has filled our people with mourning and misery. I have been threatened with death three times by Gaston, Michelle and Ransel, all State Security police officers. On April 19, 2014 they tried to penetrate here in my house and ripped off the antenna from a pipe one inch wide and tried to stab me with that pipe. At that time uniformed police was here along with other criminals in civilian clothes", denounced José Díaz Silva who heads Opponents for a New Republic Movement from his home besieged by repressive forces in Boyeros, Havana and added :

"[...] But today situation worsens because my brother tried to pass us food and they prohibited it telling him that no food would be allowed here to my house. We want to accuse the communist regime of the Castro brothers and all the thugs and bullies they direct that what happens to us is their responsibility, "said Diaz Silva.


Prosecutions and convictions: According to the information gathered during the week of 18 through 25 of April 2014, in Cuba Miguel Guerra Hastie was sentenced to two years in prison for painting anti-government posters in Antilla , Holguin on April 25, 2014 ; that same day in Guantánamo Jesús Manuel Peña Peña and his son Jesus Manuel Peña Ramirez were sentenced to one year of correctional work without internment after being attacked in the street by an agent of the regimen, both refused to sign and accept the sanction, all are members of the Eastern Democratic Alliance (ADO ); in Havana the trial of Lady in White Haydee Gallardo and her husband Ángel Figueredo of the Opponents for a New Republic Movement, was suspended on April 24, 2014 , both were imprisoned for demanding milk for Cuban children; also in the city of Holguin on April 21, 2014 the trial of Werlando Leiva member of Christian Liberation Movement was suspended, it is the second time that trial is been suspended for a lack of witnesses, Leiva was brutally attacked on June 8, 2013 by a person unknown to him who he alleged motives of political confrontation

 

Beatings and attacks: On the other hand, several human rights defenders have been beaten this week. The ADO activist Adrián Leiva Cruz was the victim of an attack on April 21, 2014 when he was riding his bicycle on a public street, suffering multiple bruises; in Baracoa, Guantanamo April 22, 2014 John Paul II Movement leader Francisco Luis Manzanet Ortiz was attacked by State Security agent Oneidis Guilarte Sotolongo who was intoxicated when he attacked the activist; in Havana on April 23, 2014 Lázaro García Mendoza of the Orlando Zapata Tamayo National Civic Action Front , was beaten by agents of the political police to prevent him taking part in opposition activities; in the City of Sibanicú, province of Camaguey, on April 22, 2014 Cuban Christian Democratic Party activist Yordan Marrero Huertas was violently beaten, during an arbitrary arrest and interrogation by the political police against him where he also received a death threat. Also attacked was the leader of that organization in Havana on April 18, 2014, María Valdés Rosado when an officer dressed in civilian clothes hit her with a a motorcycle

Arbitrary arrests: On April 23 Jorge Luis Garcia Perez “Antúnez” leader of the National Front for Civic Resistance Orlando Zapata Tamayo, and Julián Martínez Báez, of the Human Rights Party Affiliated with the Andrei Sakharov Foundation were arbitrarily detained in the city Catalina de Guines, province of Mayabeque; were released and expelled from the town hours later. The same 23rd activist of the Independent Alternative Option Movement Mercedes López Suárez was detained, in the town Jaguey Grande, Matanzas, after suffering a raid on his home. During the detention suffered threats of being imprisoned. On April 22, the Lady in White Lourdes Esquivel Vieyto was arrested when she left her home surrounded by the political police in Boyeros and held in custody for several hours. That same day they were arrested in Banes, Holguín activist of the Rosa Parks Civil Rights Movement Miladis Piñales Rosa and her husband Raciel Almaguer Ramírez after repressive forces led by Lt. Col. Roilán Cruz Oliva stormed inside their home, both are members of the Eastern Democratic Alliance and the OZT Front. The activist Zaida Vázquez Valdés was arrested on April 20 in the city of Esmeralda, Camaguey, who also received threats of being permanently imprisoned, was released from jail the next day.

 

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Directorio Democrático Cubano Cuban Democratic Directorate

 

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