Historic Peaceful March for Political Prisoner in Camagüey

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Historic Peaceful March for Political Prisoner in Camagüey
By Cuban Democratic Directorate

Former political prisoner and prisoner of conscience Jorge Luís García Pérez "Antúnez" and human rights activists Martha Beatriz Roque Cabello traveling from the peaceful march in Camagüey.

Camagüey, June 18, 2007. Around 70 activists marched through the streets of Camagüey on Sunday, June 17^th, in solidarity with Emilia Aguilar Castro, wife of political prisoner José Antonio Mola Porro. This unprecedented peaceful march ended at the Provincial Prosecutor’s Office in order to solicit a writ of habeas corpus.

Human rights activists from Camagüey, Villa Clara, and Havana gathered to support her by marching in silence to the Provincial Prosecutor’s Office, located at República No. 213 between General Gómez and Ignacio Agramonte. Once there, they remained outside peacefully under intense police vigilance until she exited the building.

The strong sense of solidarity from the activists of all parts of the island enhances the significance of this act. One of the participants, former political prisoner and prisoner of conscience Jorge Luís García Pérez “Antúnez” stated:

“I take advantage of this opportunity to make a call to the national and international public opinion to join in solidarity with all our brothers and sisters who are suffering and are in difficult situations while making just demands. All human rights activists are determined to be present anywhere in Cuba’s national territory, whether at a prison or a Ministry of Justice office[…] when human rights are violated, the internal opposition will be present, human rights groups will be present, civil society groups will be present, demanding human rights for those who are imprisoned and those who are not.”

Blas Fortún Martínez, member of the Pedro Luís Boitel National Civic Resistance Movement also stated: “ I feel very proud of the people of Camagüey and the supportive group of activists who were present. I feel happy and thankful to have been able to collaborate in solidarity with this prisoner in Camagüey.”

According to activist Martha Beatriz Roque Cabello, Emilia Aguilar Castro was received in the Provincial Prosecutor’s Office by the secretary, who signed a copy of the document and told her that she would have an answer in 72 hours.

José Antonio Mola Porro is an independent librarian and a member of the Cuban Human Rights Foundation. He was detained on May 15, 2005 while traveling to Havana to participate in a meeting of the Assembly to Promote Civil Society in Cuba. He was sentenced to 2 years of prison. In 2006 he was freed but imprisoned again in November of that same year for having participated in the Independent Libraries Congress. On May 14, 2007 he was supposed to be freed, but was instead sentenced to one more year without trial or sentence. He is now at the Cerámica Roja Prison in Camagüey.

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