Prisoner freed, if gives up political activism: José Daniel Ferrer García

Document - Cuba: Prisoner freed, if gives up political activism: José
Daniel Ferrer García

Further information on UA: 99/12 Index: AMR 25/016/2012 Cuba Date: 1 May
2012 URGENT ACTION PRISONER FREED, IF GIVES UP POLITICAL ACTIVISM

Prisoner of conscience José Daniel Ferrer García has been released, on
condition that he gives up his political activism: he has been told that
if he does so, his trial on trumped- up charges will not go ahead.
Prisoner of conscience José Daniel Ferrer García was released from
prison on 29 April: he had been detained for 27 days, and charged with
"public disorder" (desórdenes públicos). Amnesty International believes
the charges are intended to prevent him from carrying out peaceful
activities as coordinator of the Patriotic Union of Cuba (Union
Patriótica de Cuba, UNPACU), an umbrella group of organizations
advocating for peaceful political change. He has asked for his thanks to
be passed to the members of the UA network who took action on his
behalf. The Cuban authorities have told him that charges will be dropped
if he agrees to stop his activism and ensures that other members of
UNPACU do likewise. José Daniel Ferrer García had been released in March
2011 after serving eight years of a 25-year sentence for taking part in
a campaign for a national referendum on democratic reforms in Cuba. The
authorities have now threatened that he will be sent back to prison to
serve the remainder of his sentence if he does not comply. Amnesty
International has called on the Cuban authorities to withdraw
unconditionally any charges against José Daniel Ferrer García relating
to the peaceful exercise of his right to freedom of expression, and to
allow him and fellow members of UNPACU to carry out their activities
free from harassment and the threat of detention. Amnesty International
will be monitoring his situation closely, and will take further action
as appropriate. No further action is requested at this time from the UA
network. Many thanks to all who sent appeals. This is the second update
of UA 99/12.

Further information:
http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/AMR25/012/2012 Name: José Daniel
Ferrer García Gender m/f: m Further information on UA: 99/12 Index: AMR
25/016/2012 Issue Date: 1 May 2012

http://amnesty.org/en/library/asset/AMR25/016/2012/en/3005b079-e861-43bf-b1bb-e2ca8375916c/amr250162012en.html