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April 2010
Poet Régis Iglesias Ramírez was arrested in March 2003 and sentenced to 18 years in prison on anti-state charges. International PEN is calling for Iglesias’ immediate and unconditional release, along with that of 25 other print journalists, writers and librarians currently imprisoned in Cuba solely for exercising their right to freedom of expression.
Régis Iglesias Ramírez was born on 18 September 1969. Prior to his imprisonment, he was an active member of pro-democracy movements the Movimiento Cristiano Liberación (Christian Liberation Movement) and the Varela Project. Since his imprisonment, he has written two
collection of poetry, published in Spain in 2004 and 2010 respectively. Iglesias was arrested on 20 March 2003, one of many dissidents, including journalists, writers and librarians, rounded up as part of a mass crackdown on 20 March 2003 (see section on ‘Human rights situation’ below). It is believed that he was arrested for his involvement in non violent pro-democracy activism. He was brought to trial on 3 April 2003 alongside journalist Omar Rodríguez Saludes and other members of the Movimiento Cristiano Liberación (Christian Liberation Movement).
Iglesias was sentenced to 18 years’ imprisonment under Article 91, which covers acts against “the independence of the territorial integrity of the state”. He is not due for release until 2021. On 10 April 2003, Iglesias was taken to Kilo 8 Prison in Camagüey. In May 2003, he reportedly staged a protest along with other political prisoners against the opening of their correspondence by the prison authorities. On 14 January 2004, Iglesias was transferred to Ariza Prison in Cienfuegos in central eastern Cuba, where he reportedly wrote, in a period of three
months, his collection of poems Historias gentiles antes de la resurrección. The collection was published by the Editorial Aduana Vieja, based in Cádez, Spain, at the end of 2004.
In December 2004, Iglesias was transferred to Guanajay Prison in Havana Province and the next day to the Combinado del Este Prison in Havana. A medical check-up reportedly revealed that he was suffering from pulmonary emphysema (an irreversible lung condition) and myopia. In January 2005, Iglesias reportedly again staged a protest against his mail being opened by the prison authorities in Combinado del Este Prison.
When Iglesias turned 40 on 18 September 2009, he had spent more than six of those 40 years in prison. His second collection of poetry, Memorias de otoño, also written in prison, was published in Spain in March 2010 (Editorial Hispano Cubana, EHC). The same month, Iglesias was one of a number of writers in prison who publically called for a mass hunger strike in protest at their continuing imprisonment and the ongoing harassment of writers, journalists and activists in Cuba. In April 2010, Iglesias, along with other political prisoners, was reportedly denied permission to attend a religious service held in the prison.
Place of detention and treatment
It is believed that Iglesias is still detained at Combinado del Este, Havana. Like many political prisoners in Cuba, Iglesias suffers from a number of medical complaints. These include pulmonary emphysema (an irreversible lung condition) and myopia.
Other information
Iglesias is married and has two teenage daughters. He is an honorary member of PEN New Zealand. Amnesty international considers Iglesias to be a Prisoner of Conscience.
Writers in Prison Committee concerns
The Writers in Prison Committee (WiPC) of International PEN believes that Régis Iglesias Ramírez imprisonment is directly related to his non violent activism, in violation of his right to freedom of expression and association protected under international human rights law. The WiPC also has concerns about the conditions and treatment Iglesias is facing in prison particularly access to adequate medical care.
BACKGROUND ON CUBA
Cuba is an island in the Caribbean Sea with a population of around 11.3 million. It has been a one-party state led by Fidel Castro since the fall of the US-backed Batista dictatorship in 1959. In July 2006, due to ill health, Fidel Castro transferred his responsibilities to his brother and designated successor, Raúl Castro Ruz. Despite some economic, agricultural and administrative reforms, there have been few real changes to the regime since Raúl Castro took power. A US economic, trade and financial embargo on Cuba has been in place since 1960. The embargo is apparently to remain in place under President Barack Obama, despite the lifting of the travel ban for Cuban-Americans with family on the island and the easing of restrictions for US telecommunications providers in April 2009.
Human rights situation
Although Cuba has made some notable advances in the sphere of economic, social and cultural rights, particularly in the areas of education, health and combating discrimination against women, the country’s overall human rights record continues to be of grave concern. Almost all
aspects of life on the island are controlled through the Communist Party and its affiliated organisations, government bureaucracy and the state security apparatus. Political opposition parties and activities are not tolerated. Political conformity is ensured via criminal prosecutions, long and short-term detentions, harassment, police warnings, surveillance, house arrests, travel restrictions and politically motivated dismissals from employment.
A government crackdown on dissidents in March and April 2003 saw the arrest and arbitrary detention of 75 individuals, including human rights defenders, members of opposition trade unions and political parties, journalists, writers and librarians. Most of the detainees supported
the Varela Project for electoral and legislative reform in Cuba. The 75 dissidents were tried under Law 88 on “protection of Cuba’s national and economic independence” and/ or Article 91 of the Cuban Penal Code covering acts against “the independence of the territorial integrity of the state”, the maximum penalty for which is death. The basis for the charges was that the accused had allegedly received funds and/or materials from US-based NGOs financed by the United States government. The limited information available in the trial documents indicates that none of the dissidents were prosecuted for violent or recognizably criminal behaviour, but rather for peacefully exercising their rights to
freedom of expression, association and assembly.The trials were summary with insufficient time for the accused to prepare their defence and with no access to independent counsel. Prison terms ranged from six to 28 years.
The Cuban government has periodically freed dissidents, including some journalists, since the 2003 crackdown, in exchange for international concessions. Since taking office in 2004, the Spanish Prime Minister, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, has acted as a mediator between the European Union and the Cuban government. In February 2008, soon after Spain announced the resumption of cooperative programs with Cuba, the Spanish Foreign Minister announced the release of four Cuban prisoners, including journalists José Gabriel Ramón Castillo and Alejandro González Raga and independent librarian Omar Pernet Hernández, who had been detained in 2003. They were immediately exiled to Spain along with their families.
As of March 2009, 21 of the 75 dissidents detained in 2003 had been released, some conditionally on medical grounds. However 54 of them remained in prison in harsh conditions. Meanwhile, many more individuals, including some journalists, have been arrested for openly
expressing dissident political views. The US embargo, which is regularly condemned by UN bodies, has had “disastrous and lasting
economic and social effects” on the Cuban people, according to the former Personal Representative of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (Special Rapporteur) on the situation of human rights in Cuba (2007). The UN argues that the embargo has also had a serious impact on civil and political rights in Cuba as the Cuban authorities have reacted by adopting repressive laws used against dissidents, including those perceived by the government as being associated with US efforts to bring about regime change. As noted above, it appears that the embargo will largely remain in place under President Barack Obama.
The Cuban government refuses to allow visits to the country by independent human rights organisations such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch. Cuba is one of the few countries in the world that denies the International Committee of the Red Cross access to its
prisons. It also refused to recognise the mandate of the former UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Cuba, which was abolished in June 2007.
On 22 February 2010, the activist Orlando Zapata Tamayo died after an 85-day hunger strike protesting prison conditions, reportedly the first time in more than 40 years that a political prisoner has starved himself to death in custody in Cuba.
Freedom of expression
Freedom of expression, association and movement are severely restricted in Cuba. All print and broadcast media are state controlled. Some independent journalists manage to write articles for foreign websites or underground newsletters. However, laws banning anti-government
propaganda, the spreading of “unauthorised news” and insulting officials make this a risky undertaking.
Independent journalists and librarians routinely suffer harassment and intimidation at the hands of the authorities and are frequently arrested, increasingly on charges of "pre-criminal dangerousness". Foreign news agencies must employ local journalists only through
government offices. Access to the Internet is severely limited outside governmental offices and educational institutions. Despite this, blogs describing daily life in Cuba and which are openly critical of the authorities are springing up, often written by young people and professional
journalists.
Imprisoned writers
Cuba has long been a major concern for the WiPC as a country that has consistently held among the highest numbers of writers and journalists in prison. There are currently more journalists in prison in Cuba than any other country in the world bar
China. As of April 2010, PEN has on its case list 26 print journalists, writers and librarians who are being held in prisons across Cuba, 22 of whom have been jailed since the government crackdown on dissidents in 2003 (see above). Prison conditions and treatment by prison officials are generally harsh and do not comply with international human rights standards. For example, the imprisoned writers are often:
• Detained in locations far from their homes, making visits from family very difficult
• Kept in conditions that are overcrowded, unclean and sanitary, for example with very little
access to light, space or exercise, dirty, inadequate or no bedding, flooding, infestations, etc.
• Given food that is inadequate in quality and quantity, meaning many have to rely on
additional supplies brought by their families
• Restricted or denied access to communications, for example telephones, visits by family
members, access to paper to write or reading materials
• Threatened, harassed, restrained, beaten and assaulted, particularly when the prisoner
continues to write for external publications, especially on prison conditions
• Kept in solitary confinement/ punishment cells for prolonged periods (up to months at a
time), including for minor infractions such as singing anti government songs or refusing to
wear prison uniform
• Accommodated alongside dangerous and violent prisoners such as murderers
The majority of the imprisoned writers are suffering from health complaints caused or exacerbated by the conditions and treatment they are exposed to in prison. The risk to their health is further increased by the fact that they frequently resort to hunger strike and even selfharm as their only means of protesting against their imprisonment, conditions and treatment. Despite their deteriorating health status, access to adequate medical treatment is often limited. This issue has become even more urgent following the death of the political prisoner Orlando Zapata Tamayo on 22 February 2010 after a three-month hunger strike.
Here is the link to the NZSA profile page for Régis Iglesias Ramírez.
We must stress that if anyone wishes to write to Régis Iglesias Ramírez they MUST not - for his safety - include political comments.
