Prisoner freed, if gives up political activism: José Daniel Ferrer García

Document – Cuba: Prisoner freed, if gives up political activism: José

Daniel Ferrer García

Further information on UA: 99/12 Index: AMR 25/016/2012 Cuba Date: 1 May

2012 URGENT ACTION PRISONER FREED, IF GIVES UP POLITICAL ACTIVISM

Prisoner of conscience José Daniel Ferrer García has been released, on

condition that he gives up his political activism: he has been told that

if he does so, his trial on trumped- up charges will not go ahead.

Prisoner of conscience José Daniel Ferrer García was released from

prison on 29 April: he had been detained for 27 days, and charged with

"public disorder" (desórdenes públicos). Amnesty International believes

the charges are intended to prevent him from carrying out peaceful

activities as coordinator of the Patriotic Union of Cuba (Union

Patriótica de Cuba, UNPACU), an umbrella group of organizations

advocating for peaceful political change. He has asked for his thanks to

be passed to the members of the UA network who took action on his

behalf. The Cuban authorities have told him that charges will be dropped

if he agrees to stop his activism and ensures that other members of

UNPACU do likewise. José Daniel Ferrer García had been released in March

2011 after serving eight years of a 25-year sentence for taking part in

a campaign for a national referendum on democratic reforms in Cuba. The

authorities have now threatened that he will be sent back to prison to

serve the remainder of his sentence if he does not comply. Amnesty

International has called on the Cuban authorities to withdraw

unconditionally any charges against José Daniel Ferrer García relating

to the peaceful exercise of his right to freedom of expression, and to

allow him and fellow members of UNPACU to carry out their activities

free from harassment and the threat of detention. Amnesty International

will be monitoring his situation closely, and will take further action

as appropriate. No further action is requested at this time from the UA

network. Many thanks to all who sent appeals. This is the second update

of UA 99/12.

Further information:

http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/AMR25/012/2012 Name: José Daniel

Ferrer García Gender m/f: m Further information on UA: 99/12 Index: AMR

25/016/2012 Issue Date: 1 May 2012

http://amnesty.org/en/library/asset/AMR25/016/2012/en/3005b079-e861-43bf-b1bb-e2ca8375916c/amr250162012en.html