Tuesday, March 28, 2017

Cuba: Further information: Defender sentenced after criticizing Castro: Dr Eduardo Cardet Concepción

Amnesty International has updated its Urgent Action for Cuban prisoner of conscience Eduardo Cardet and extended it to May 8, 2017.


Further information on UA: 32/17 Index: AMR 25/5979/2017 Cuba Date: 27 March 2017
  
URGENT ACTION DEFENDER SENTENCED AFTER CRITICIZING CASTRO 

Cuban authorities sentenced human rights defender Eduardo Cardet to three years in prison after holding him in provisional prison in Holguín, south-east Cuba, since November 2016. He is a prisoner of conscience who must be released immediately and unconditionally.

Dr. Eduardo Cardet Concepción, leader of the Christian Liberation Movement (Movimiento Cristiano Liberación, MCL) since 2014 was sentenced to three years in prison on 20 March. He was arrested in Holguín on 30 November 2016, five days after the death of the former leader of Cuba, Fidel Castro. He has since been held in the provisional prison (prisión provisional) of Holguín and will remain there while he carries out the appeals.

Eduardo Cardet was charged with attacking an official of the state (atentado) after he publicly criticized Fidel Castro a few days after his death. Prior to his arrest, Eduardo Cardet had given interviews published in international media in which he had been critical of the Cuban government. In an interview with Madrid-based radio station esRadio, aired two days before his arrest, he described the mourning in Cuba following the death of Fidel Castro as imposed, and said: “Castro was a very controversial man, very much hated and rejected by our people”. His lawyer has until 31 March to file an appeal.

Please write immediately in Spanish or your own language:
  • Calling on the authorities to release Dr. Eduardo Cardet immediately and unconditionally, as he is a prisoner of conscience, imprisoned solely for peacefully exercising his right to freedom of expression; 
  • Calling on them to guarantee the peaceful right to freedom of expression, assembly and association including for dissident, opponent or activist voices and to repeal all legislation which unduly limits these rights; 
  • Urging them to ensure that, pending his release, he is provided with any medical care he may require; that he is not tortured or otherwise ill-treated; and that he is granted regular access to family and lawyers of his choosing.

PLEASE SEND APPEALS BEFORE 8 MAY 2017 TO: 

President of the Republic Raúl Castro Ruz  Presidente de la República de Cuba La Habana, Cuba  Fax: +41 22 758 9431 (Cuba Office in Geneva); +1 212 779 1697 (via Cuban Mission to UN) Email: cuba@un.int (c/o Cuban Mission to UN)  Salutation: Your Excellency

Attorney General  Dr. Darío Delgado Cura  Fiscal General de la República Fiscalía General de la República  Amistad 552, e/Monte y Estrella  Centro Habana, La Habana, Cuba  Salutation: Dear Attorney General/ Señor Fiscal General

Also send copies to diplomatic representatives accredited to your country. Please insert local diplomatic addresses below: Name Address 1 Address 2 Address 3 Fax Fax number Email Email address Salutation Salutation 

Please check with your section office if sending appeals after the above date. This is the first update of UA 32/17. Further information: www.amnesty.org/en/documents/amr25/5601/2017/en/

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