Statement by the Cuba Study Group in Reaction to the Continued Harassment of Peaceful Democracy Advocates
April 28, 2012
Cuba Study Group
Washington, DC- The Cuba Study Group today issued the following statement in reaction to the continued and increased detention and harassment of peaceful democracy advocates by the Cuban government:
“The Cuba Study Group condemns the continued harassment and detention of peaceful democracy advocates by the Cuban government.
We call on Cuban authorities to cease the harassment of its citizens in violation of their internationally recognized human rights and to release all detained democracy advocates including Jose Daniel Ferrer Garcia.
A more prosperous future for Cuba cannot be built on the basis of harassment and detentions. The Cuban government’s systematic violation of human rights stands in stark contrast to the overwhelming majority of Cubans who believe that all Cubans must work together to build a more prosperous future for their country.”
Mr. Garcia Ferrer is the coordinator of the Union Patriotica de Cuba and has been detained without charge since April 2, 2012. He was previously listed as a prisoner of conscience by Amnesty International while imprisoned along with 74 other peaceful democracy advocates in 2003. Mr. Garcia Ferrer was granted conditional release in March of 2011, having served eight years of his 25-year sentence.
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