Cuban prisoners on hunger strike
By Cuban Democratic Directorate

Three prisoners protest in the Boniato Provincial Prison in Santiago de Cuba

José Gabriel Ramón Castillo “Pepín”

Puerto Padre, Cuba, October 30, 2006, Cuban Democratic Directorate – Two political prisoners are currently carrying out a hunger strike protesting the mistreatments and injustices committed against them by prison officials of the Boniato Prison.

José Gabriel Ramón Castillo “Pepín” and Eduardo Díaz Castellanos began a hunger strike on October 17th. Ramon Castillo had already been refusing prison food at the time, and only consumed food given to him by other prisoners. Díaz Castellanos is a common prisoner in solidarity with the protest because he has also been a victim of the injustices committed at the prison. On October 23, political prisoner Reinaldo Labrada Peña joined the hunger strike.

The information was provided from Puerto Padre by Giselda Verdecia García, the wife of Reinaldo Labrada Peña.

“They are demanding the rights that are denied to prisoners. They seek to be able to keep food to store in their cubicles for later consumption, to have access to phone calls and privacy during the calls, the right to religious attention, the end to physical and verbal abuse against prisoners, and for medications to be given to prisoners when brought by their families. I hold responsible the authorities of the prison and State Security which administers all these tortures for the physical integrity of my husband,” explained the prisoner’s wife.

José Gabriel Ramón Castillo was detained in March 2003 when he was director of the Culture and Democracy Independent Institute in Santiago de Cuba. Reinaldo Labrada Peña was also detained and condemned under the same cause known as “the 75”, for his activities in Las Tunas in favor of human rights. Both are serving long prison sentences.

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Directorio Democrático Cubano
P.O. Box 110235
Hialeah, Florida 33011
Tel. 305-220-2713
info@directorio.org

In Memory of Mario Manuel de la Peña