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NEWS
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
BRITISH MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT PASS RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF DEMOCRACY IN
CUBA
MIAMI, Oct. 23, 2003 -- The
British Parliament has passed a resolution, backed by 75 British MPs, in
support of Cuban political prisoners and democracy in Cuba. The
resolution also censures the Cuban government for its human rights
violations. This most recent show of support for democracy in Cuba
reflects the European Union’s new policy towards Cuba on the heels of
the March 18th crackdown on dissidents by the Cuban government.
The “Early Motion,” as this type of resolution is known in the British
Parliament, specifically mentions the cases of prisoners of conscience
Juan Carlos Gonzalez Leiva, Jorge Luis Garcia Perez, and Oscar Elias
Biscet. The motion calls on the Cuban government to provide medical
assistance to all political prisoners, not to deny this type of
assistance as a means of punishment, and to allow the Red Cross full
access to Cuban prisons. The motion also demands that the Cuban
government allow peaceful protests for human rights and pro-democracy
issues and that it release those arrested for carrying them out. It
insists that the Cuban government not pressure the family members of
those imprisoned. The motion concludes by calling on the British
government to make these issues a priority in its bilateral relations
with the Cuban government.
The motion was presented thanks to the information support provided by
Christian Solidarity Worldwide.
For more information please call Marilu Del Toro of the Cuban Democratic
Directorate at (305) 279-4416 or call Christian Solidarity Worldwide in
the U.K., +44 20 8942 8810.
(Please see motion attached.)
That this House notes that the Cuban Government continues to hold
several hundred political prisoners, whose offences include
pro-democracy activism and speaking out against Government policies on
issues such as abortion and treatment of the blind; further notes that
among the most prominent cases are human rights activists Dr Oscar
Biscet, Juan Carlos Gonzalez Leiva and Jorge Garcia Perez, all three of
whom were arrested after peaceful protests; expresses strong concern
that all three of these prisoners have, at various times, been denied
medical treatment, resulting in severe ill-health; expresses further
strong concern that Mr Gonzalez Leiva was badly beaten by security
agents during his arrest, and that Mr Garcia Perez has been given
repeated severe beatings whilst in prison; is also concerned that the
families of each prisoner have reported harassment and threats from the
authorities; notes also that in mid-March the Cuban Government
orchestrated a massive round-up of human rights and pro-democracy
activists, arresting over 75 dissidents; calls upon the Cuban Government
to allow full medical treatment to all prisoners, to desist from
withholding medical treatment as punishment, and to allow the Red Cross
access to its prisons; further calls upon the Cuban Government to allow
peaceful protest on human rights and pro-democracy issues, to release
all those held for such activities, and to cease from applying pressure
on them or their families; and urges Her Majesty's Government to place
these issues at the core of bilateral talks with Cuba.
DETENTION OF HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVISTS IN CUBA
Andy King
Mr David Atkinson
Hugh Bayley
Mr Russell Brown
David Cairns
Mr Martin Caton
Tom Cox
Mr Wayne David
Jim Dobbin
Mr David Drew
Annabelle Ewing
Mr James Gray
Nick Harvey
Simon Hughes
Mr Nigel Jones
Andrew Mackinlay
Mr Eddie McGrady
Mr Andrew Mitchell
Joyce Quin
Mr Peter Robinson
Mr Mohammad Sarwar
Mr Barry Sheerman
The Reverend Martin Smyth
Sir Teddy Taylor
Mr Bill Tynan
Mrs Betty Williams
Norman Baker
Mr Joe Benton
Richard Burden
Mrs Patsy Calton
Mr Tony Clarke
Mr Jim Cunningham
Mr Terry Davis
Mr Nigel Dodds
Mr Huw Edwards
Mr Frank Field
Mr Win Griffiths
Lady Hermon
Mr Andrew Hunter
Mr Edward Leigh
Mr Humfrey Malins
Mr Kevin McNamara
Mr Austin Mitchell
Mr John Randall
Andrew Rosindell
Mr Malcolm Savidge
Mr Jim Sheridan
Bob Spink
Dr Jenny Tonge
Steve Webb
Sir Nicholas Winterton
John Barrett
Peter Bottomley
Alistair Burt
Mr Gregory Campbell
Mr Iain Coleman
Valerie Davey
Mr Parmjit Dhanda
Mr Jeffrey M. Donaldson
Mr Bill Etherington
Mr Neil Gerrard
Mr Mike Hancock
Paul Holmes
Lynne Jones
Mr Terry Lewis
Mr Paul Marsden
Patrick Mercer
Mr Mark Oaten
Mrs Iris Robinson
Bob Russell
Andrew Selous
Alan Simpson
Mr Desmond Swayne
Mr Paul Tyler
Miss Ann Widdecombe
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