Cuba must immediately release prisoner of conscience

Cuba must immediately release prisoner of conscience
11 September 2013

“It is a sad reflection of the state of the rule of law in Cuba, when
people are convicted to prison terms not for what they have done but for
what they might do.”
Javier Zúñiga, Special Advisor for Amnesty International.
Authorities in Cuba must immediately and unconditionally release a
political activist imprisoned solely because of his political views,
Amnesty International said as it adopted Iván Fernández Depestre a
“Prisoner of Conscience”.
The 40 year-old political activist, was arrested on 30 July in the
central province of Villa Clara as he peacefully participated in a
public event to commemorate the anniversary of the death of Cuban
national hero Frank País.
“Iván Fernández Depestre is being held only because he holds opinions
contrary to those of the Cuban authorities. He must be released
immediately and unconditionally,” said Javier Zúñiga, Special Advisor
for Amnesty International.
Mr Depestre was charged with “dangerousness”, a pre-emptive measure
defined as the “special proclivity of a person to commit crimes” after
he was accused of “meeting with antisocial persons”. He had no access to
a lawyer during his trial and was sentenced to three years in jail on 2
August. He is currently on hunger strike.
“The Cuban authorities seem to be using every trick in the book to
punish those who dare to speak up about human rights. They are even
using a law that punishes potential offences on account of ‘antisocial
behaviour’ to imprison political dissidents, independent journalists and
government critics,” said Javier Zúñiga.
“It is a sad reflection of the state of the rule of law in Cuba, when
people are convicted to prison terms not for what they have done but for
what they might do.”
On 4 September, local activists were arrested after they went to meet Mr
Depestre at the Guamajal prison. They were later released.
Articles 78 to 84 of the Cuban Criminal Code established that those
convicted of “special proclivity to commit crimes” can be sentenced to
between one and four years of re-education in “specialized work or study
establishments” or sent to “a work collective”.

Source: “Cuba must immediately release prisoner of conscience | Amnesty
International” –
http://www.amnesty.org/en/news/cuba-poc-ivan-fernandez-depestre-2013-09-11