Cuba: lead MEPs condemn harassment of activists participating in EP meeting
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Cuba: lead MEPs condemn harassment of activists participating in EP meeting

Statement by the Chair of the Delegation for relations with Central America, Tilly Metz, the Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee, David McAllister, and EP Vice-President Heidi Hautala.

In view of the harassment of Cuban human rights activists, including 2005 Sakharov Prize winner Berta Soler, who were participating in an extraordinary remote meeting of the Delegation for relations with countries of Central America (DCAM) on “The Implementation of the Political Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement between the European Union and Cuba: state of play” last Friday 11 December, Tilly Metz (Greens/EFA, LU), David McAllister (EPP, DE), and Heidi Hautala (Greens/EFA, FI) stated:

“We deplore the harassment by the Cuban security services of participants in that meeting. The day before Sakharov Prize winner Berta Soler was supposed to take part in the event, she was arbitrarily arrested.

Ms Soler was released after several hours, but the obstruction continued. Though advance tests of the internet connection with all participants in Cuba went well, surprisingly all connections except one went down right at the beginning of the event. After the meeting, journalist Reinaldo Escobar, who participated via a video message, was detained for 5 hours and interrogated. On early Friday, José Daniel Ferrer, the General Coordinator of the Patriotic Union of Cuba (UNPACU), had a large number of State Security forces surrounding his house and his internet and phone connections were cut. He too had to participate in the EP meeting via video message.

These actions are unacceptable. According to the Constitution of the Cuban Republic, article 54, the State recognizes, respects and guarantees the freedom of thought, conscience and expression. We call upon the Cuban authorities to respect that constitutional right and to cease the ongoing harassment of Cuban citizens including those who participated remotely in the DCAM meeting. This extends to the San Isidro movement, which is engaged in ensuring that cultural life in Cuba can happen without censorship.

During the meeting of the European Parliament, MEPs evaluated the progress in the implementation of the EU-Cuba Political Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement (PDCA), which entered provisionally into force three years ago. DCAM Members are of the view that the above-mentioned actions undertaken by the Cuban authorities are clearly contrary to the very spirit and the values enshrined in this Agreement.”