Physician, Prisoner of Conscience Tortured

Physician Prisoner of Conscience Tortured

"THE CUBAN GOVERNMENT HAS TORTURED ME DURING EIGHT YEARS…TRYING TO DRIVE
ME INSANE…"

Testimony of prisoner of conscience, Dr. Oscar Elías Biscet, from the
Prison of Combinado del Este in Havana, Cuba

PRISON CONDITIONS

"The government of Cuba has tortured me during eight years; they have
done so trying to drive me insane though, thank God, I have been able to
preserve my sanity… in reality, they continue torturing me because I
live in a box with no windows or natural light, no water…with a mattress
that feels as if one were sleeping on a plank, a stone… unfit for a
human being … surrounded by criminals and under the threat, as it has
happened on previous occasions, of being attacked by the government who
instigates these dangerous prisoners…"

"I believe that what the government is doing is torturing me to
humiliate me so that I abandon the struggle on behalf of the freedom of
my country but, thank God, I have been able to keep up my stance and
will continue doing so with God's help…"

SYMBOLIC FAST AS OF JULY 13, 2006

We began this fast (in prison) because I believe we should pray to God
and demand our rights before the government, the right to be free which
belongs to every person just for being a citizen. Our country has lived
so long without any rights, under a dictatorship…I believe that we must
demand rights that belong to us and, in everyone's interest, these
liberties must be observed... In order to live a full life, it is
essential to live in freedom and the Cuban people are denied these
rights… that is why I'm initiating a fast along with other brothers (in
prison) to demand that the government sign the international covenants
of civil, political, economic, cultural and social rights – the Cuban
regime must sign them and abide by them so that the Cuban people may
live in freedom at last….

MESSAGE TO THE CUBAN PEOPLE

"The Cuban people must do their utmost in their struggle to win their
freedom and succeed in obtaining the international support of all free
and democratic countries. I trust that the Cuban people prove their
dignity as they have done so on other occasions, so that we may enjoy
FREEDOM.."

Dr. Oscar Elías Biscet, 45 years old, is an internal medicine specialist
of the black race who established and presides in Cuba the Lawton
Foundation for Human Rights, an organization that promotes universal
human rights through non-violent civil disobedience. He was released
October 31, 2002, after serving a three-year sentence at a
maximum-security prison 700 km. away from his home. He was violently
arrested thirty-six days later and remained in prison until March-April,
2003, when he was included in a crackdown carried out by the Cuban
regime against the independent civil rights movement in the island. He
was tried summarily and sentenced to serve 25 years in prison, accused
of being "a mercenary at the service of a foreign state". He continues
to suffer the cruel prison conditions he has been exposed to during
eight years, which have seriously deteriorated his physical health.

On July 17, 2006, Amado Gil, a journalist in Radio Martí, was able to
speak with Dr. Biscet in Cuba thanks to the intercession of an
independent journalist in Havana who, beyond governmental control, used
the limited time allotted to Dr. Biscet to make telephone calls from
prison.

(Listen audio – in Spanish – of the entire interview:
http://www.martinoticias.com/ocbstory.asp?MediaID=37276)

The Coalition of Cuban-American Women transcribed, edited and translated
to English this interview
LAIDA CARRO – Email: Joseito76@aol.com Tel: 305-740-0934 Fax:
305-740-7323

Nota: La denuncia anterior distribuida por: NetforCuba International
http://www.netforcuba.org Para NetforCuba en español, favor de visitar:
http://espanol.netforcuba.org

http://www.miscelaneasdecuba.net/web/article.asp?artID=7051