Rights group asks Brazil to track Cuban boxers

Rights group asks Brazil to track Cuban boxers
Sat 11 Aug 2007, 7:23 GMT

SAO PAULO (Reuters) - A leading global human rights group asked Brazil
on Friday to investigate the deportation of two Cuban boxers and to
track how the men are treated by the communist government.

Human Rights Watch sent an open letter to Brazil's Justice Minister
Tarso Genro asking for a full investigation into the case of champion
boxers Guillermo Rigondeaux and Erislandy Lara.

The Cuban athletes disappeared in Rio de Janeiro during the PanAmerican
games last month but were later located by police and returned to Cuba.

Brazilian lawmakers have said they plan to investigate why the boxers
were returned so quickly instead of being granted political asylum.

But Brazil's Justice Ministry said the athletes contacted the police
themselves, did not request asylum, and asked to be sent back to Cuba.
The boxers reported a similar version of events to Cuba's official
newspaper, Granma, after returning to the island.

"Even if the two athletes did not explicitly ask for political asylum,
requests for refugee status can be signaled by actions and not just
stated requests," Human Rights Watch said in an open letter signed by
executive director Jose Miguel Vivanco.

"The government should sponsor a complete and impartial investigation,"
Vivanco said.

http://africa.reuters.com/sport/news/usnBAN130221.html