CPJ is concerned over the recent detention, harassment and threats of incarceration made by Cuban State Political Police against Ramon Alberto Cruz Lima, a journalist for the independent Cuban news agency Patria in the city of Ciego de Avila. Cruz was arrested on 1 August 1996, when he visited the home of Hector Valdivia in […]
CPJ is concerned over the recent detention, harassment and threats
of incarceration made by Cuban State Political Police against
Ramon Alberto Cruz Lima, a journalist for the independent Cuban
news agency Patria in the city of Ciego de Avila. Cruz was
arrested on 1 August 1996, when he visited the home of Hector
Valdivia in Ciego de Avila. Valdivia, who was also arrested the
same day, is the father of Roxana Valdivia, a journalist with
Patria who was forced into exile with her family in June (see IFEX
alerts).
Cruz told CPJ that he was detained and interrogated at political
police headquarters for four hours. During the interrogation, Cruz
was shown copies of articles that he had given to CPJ staff expert
Suzanne Bilello when she visited Cuba in June. The articles were
taken from Bilello along with her notebooks, telephone directory
and other personal items when she was arrested and expelled from
Cuba on 20 June (see IFEX alert of 21 June). At the time of his
arrest, police also confiscated articles that Cruz had written and
threatened to use them as evidence in a criminal prosecution.
On 7 August, Cruz was summoned to the political police
headquarters in Ciego de Avila and interrogated for six hours by
first Lieutenant Alfredo Diaz. On this occasion, Cruz was formally
threatened with criminal prosecution on charges of enemy
propaganda, conspiracy and practicing journalism illegally.
The Patria news agency is one of the five independent news Cuban
agencies that are to receive the Inter American Press
Association’s distinguished and internationally-recognized Grand
Prize for Press Freedom. Diaz told Cruz that if Patria were to
accept a cash award from IAPA he would also be charged with
accepting money from enemy sources.
CPJ is also concerned about reports that two other members of
Patria, Magali Pino and Bernardo Fuentes Camblor, were arrested on
12 August in Camaguey by State Security Police. Sources in
Camaguey on 12 August reported that Pino and Fuentes were arrested
in their homes at 9 a.m. by State Security Police and detained.
According to CPJ, in recent weeks Patria appears to have been the
target of a campaign of harassment and reckless disregard of the
civil liberties of several members of the news agency and their
relatives. Because the cities where Patria is based, Ciego de
Avila and Camaguey, are isolated and lacking access to
international news media and the diplomatic community, CPJ feels
the independent journalists in this region are particularly
vulnerable to tactics aimed at silencing them.
Recommended Action
Send appeals to President Fidel Castro:
right to free expression which is guaranteed by Article 19 of the
United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights
independent news organizations are allowed to operate freely
without the threat of harassment and imprisonment, and that their
family members are also protected
Appeals To
His Excellency Fidel Castro
President
Havana, Cubac/o the Cuban Mission at the United Nations
New York NY 10016, United States
Fax: +1 212 779 1697
or c/o the Cuban diplomatic representative in your country
(in the United States)
Cuban Interest Section
Washington DC, United States
Fax: +1 202 797 8521
(in Canada)
Embassy of the Republic of Cuba
388 Main Street
Ottawa, Ontario
K1S 1E3, Canada
Fax: +1 613 563 0068
Please copy appeals to the originator if possible.
