Posted : Wed, 24 Feb 2010 16:16:11 GMT
By : dpa
Buenos Aires/London - Amnesty International (AI) Wednesday called for
change in Cuba and a probe of the death of a Cuban dissident who had
been on hunger strike for 83 days. "Amnesty International has urged
Cuban President Raul Castro to immediately and unconditionally release
all prisoners of conscience," AI said in a statement.
"The death of Orlando Zapata also underlines the urgent need for Cuba to
invite international human rights experts to visit the country to verify
respect for human rights, in particular obligations in the International
Covenant on Civil and Political Rights."
Orlando Zapata Tamayo, a 42-year-old bricklayer, died on Tuesday, the
first Cuban prisoner to die on a hunger strike in decades. He had been
protesting poor treatment in Cuban prisons and was one of 55 prisoners
of conscience who have been adopted by Amnesty International in Cuba.
"The tragic death of Orlando Zapata Tamayo is a terrible illustration of
the despair facing prisoners of conscience who see no hope of being
freed from their unfair and prolonged incarceration," said Gerardo
Ducos, Amnesty International's Caribbean researcher.
The organization called for a probe on whether mistreatment "may have
played a part" in Zapata Tamayo's death.
"Faced with a prolonged prison sentence, the fact that Orlando Zapata
Tamayo felt he had no other avenue available to him but to starve
himself in protest is a terrible indictment of the continuing repression
of political dissidents in Cuba," the human rights organization said.
At the time of his death, the dissident had been serving a 36-year jail
sentence for wrongdoings such as "disrespect," "public disorder,"
"resistance" and "disobedience."
Amnesty International demands change after Cuba dissident's death :
America World (24 February 2010)
http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/311059,amnesty-international-demands-change-after-cuba-dissidents-death.html
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