RSF/IFEX) – On 8 September 1997, Omar Rodriguez Saludes of the New Press news agency (ANP) was arrested by a State Security officer who, after threatening Rodriguez, confiscated his camera and several documents. Rodriguez had been covering a religious festival. The same day, Odalys Curbelo Sanchez, correspondent for the news agency Cuba Press in Pinar […]
RSF/IFEX) – On 8 September 1997, Omar Rodriguez Saludes of the New Press
news agency (ANP) was arrested by a State Security officer who, after
threatening Rodriguez, confiscated his camera and several documents.
Rodriguez had been covering a religious festival. The same day, Odalys
Curbelo Sanchez, correspondent for the news agency Cuba Press in Pinar del
Rio, was summoned to appear at the State Security office in that city. On 5
September, Bernardo Arevalo Padron, director of the news agency Linea Azul
Press, was detained for five hours at police headquarters in Aguada de
Pasajeros, in the province of Cienfuegos. He was released without having
been questioned. The same day, Ricardo Gonzalez Alfonso, a journalist with
Cuba Press, was summoned to police headquarters in Havana. No police officer
interrogated the journalist.
On 13 August, Efren Martinez Pulgaron, of Cuba Press, was arrested by State
Security agents in San Luis, near Pinar Del Rio. He was then detained in the
State Security office in Pinar del Rio. On 27 August, authorities told his
mother that he could be incarcerated for up to six months without there
being any charge brought against him. On 3 September, a police officer told
his mother that her son’s release would depend on Cuba Press handing over a
dictaphone. During the arrest of Martinez, officers had already seized a
tape recorder. He shares a small cell with three other prisoners. Martinez
had previously been arrested in November 1996.
Recommended Action
Send appeals to authorities:
Appeals To
His Excellency Fidel Castro
President
Havana, CubaDr Juan Escalona Reguera
State Prosecutor
San Rafael 3, La Habana, Cuba
Fax: +53 7 333164Roberto Robaina Gonzalez
Minister of Foreign Affairs
Ministry of Foreign AffairsC
alzada No. 360
Vedado, La Habana, Cuba
Fax: + 53 7 333085 / 335261General Abelardo Colome Ibarra
Minister of the Interior
Ministry of the Interior
Plaza de la Revolucion
Havana, Cubac/o the Cuban Mission at the United Nations
New York NY 10016, United States
Fax: +1 212 779 1697or 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 StreetOttawa, Ontario
K1S 1E3, Canada
Fax: +1 613 563 0068
Please copy appeals to the source if possible.
