08 Mar 11 | Index Index, minipost
Cuban reporter Pedro Arguelles Moran has been released from prison on parole. He is the last of the journalists jailed during the 2003 “Black Spring” crackdown to be freed. In April 2003 he was sentenced to 20 years in prison under Law 88, for commiting acts “aimed at subverting the internal order of the nation”. He was released as part of an agreement brokered by the Catholic church in 2010.
16 Feb 11 | Index Index, minipost
Héctor Maseda Gutiérrez, a journalist imprisoned during Cuba’s ‘Black Spring’ of 2003 was released on 12 February. Unlike many of the 52 journalists and dissidents released last July, Maseda, who co-founded the independent news agency Grupo de Trabajo Decoro, will not be forced to go into exile. Six of the 11 prisoners who refused the deal brokered with Spain have now been released and will be allowed to remain in Cuba. There are now just two ‘Black Spring’ journalists who are yet to be freed. Maseda was released against his will, saying that he did not want to go without the others.
26 Oct 10 | Index Index, minipost
Guillermo Farinas has won the 2010 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought, the European Union’s most prestigious human rights award. Farinas has spent much of the last 15 years in jail and has gone on hunger strike more than 20 times. His most recent hunger strike ended in July when the government agreed to release 52 political prisoners. At the same time as the EU bestowed the accolade, Cuba authorised the release of a further five prisoners, who were not among the originally specified 52. The released men are due to be transferred to Spain. 39 have already been released, but 13 have refused the deal and remain behind bars.
12 Jul 10 | Index Index, minipost
The Cuban authorities have announced that they intend to release 52 political prisoners. The first prisoners are expected to arrive in Madrid tomorrow (13 July). Cuba has come under increased international pressure following the death of political prisoner Orlando Zapato Tamayo in February. Tamayo had been on a hunger strike. The first five prisoners are being allowed to travel to Spain with their relatives. The remaining 47 will be released over the next few months, they will also be allowed to relocate to Spain. The Cuban Human Rights Commission claims that after the releases Cuban jails will still hold 110 political prisoners.
