22 August 2011
The Cuban authorities must end their intimidation of a group of women
campaigning for the release of political prisoners, Amnesty
International said after 19 of the group's members were re-arrested
yesterday.
The latest detentions took place yesterday in and near the south-eastern
city of Santiago de Cuba, where the women were due to march silently and
pray for the end of political imprisonment.
Over the last month, the "Ladies in White" (Damas de Blanco) and their
supporters have repeatedly faced arbitrary arrest and physical attacks
as they staged protests in several towns in the region.
"The ongoing harassment of these courageous women has to stop. The Cuban
authorities must allow them to march peacefully and to attend religious
services as they wish," said Javier Zuñiga, Special Advisor at Amnesty
International.
The latest arrests took place as "Ladies in White" gathered in several
locations to make their way to a planned march at the Cathedral in
Santiago de Cuba.
Eleven of the "Ladies in White" gathered yesterday morning at the home
of a supporter in the town of Palma Soriano. A crowd of some 100 people,
including police, officials and government supporters, surrounded the
house for several hours.
When the women attempted to leave, police pushed them and pulled their
hair before forcing them into buses. They were driven a few kilometres
away where they were transferred to police cars and dropped near their
hometowns in the provinces of Santiago de Cuba and Holguín.
Police also surrounded the house of Tania Montoya Vázquez, another "Lady
in White" from Palma Soriano for several hours yesterday, preventing her
and two fellow protesters from leaving.
Five other "Ladies in White" who live in the city of Santiago were
arrested before they could reach the Cathedral and were held in police
stations for several hours. It is believed that they have all been released.
Beginning on 17 July, groups of the "Ladies in White" have gathered on
Sundays to stage silent protests and attend mass in Santiago de Cuba and
several nearby towns.
The "Ladies in White" and the "Ladies in Support" (Damas de Apoyo) are a
nationwide network of activists in Cuba that have recently escalated
their peaceful protests in eastern provinces. In Havana and elsewhere,
they have repeatedly suffered harassment from Cuban authorities for
their peaceful protests.
In central Havana on 18 August 2011, 49 "Ladies in White" and their
supporters were prevented from carrying out a protest in support of
their members in Santiago de Cuba and other eastern provinces.
In 2003, Cuban authorities rounded up 75 of the group's relatives for
their involvement in peaceful criticism of the government.
The 75 dissidents were subjected to summary trials and sentenced to
prison terms of up to 28 years. Amnesty International considered them
all to be prisoners of conscience, and the last of them were finally
released in May 2011.
The "Ladies in White" and "Ladies in Support" continue to peacefully
protest for the release of others who they believe have been imprisoned
due to their dissident activities.
"It is unacceptable for the government under Raúl Castro's leadership to
perpetuate a climate of fear and repression to silence ordinary Cubans
when they dare to speak out," said Javier Zuñiga.
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