Posted on Fri, Apr. 04, 2008
BY PABLO BACHELET
pbachelet@MiamiHerald.com
WASHINGTON --
The human rights arm of the Organization of American States on Friday
condemned Cuba for multiple violations, drawing an angry response from
its allies Venezuela and Nicaragua, which argued Havana was unable to
defend itself.
In its 2007 annual report, the Inter-American Commission on Human
Rights, a semi-autonomous unit of the OAS, said Cuba restricted
political rights and freedom of expression, lacked free elections and an
independent judiciary and ``created a permanent panorama of breached
basic rights for the Cuban citizenry.''
The report also faults Cuba for the lack of independent trade unions and
threats and attacks against rights activists. The commission also noted
that foreign reporters were stripped of their work permits because
''their assessment of Cuban problems is not acceptable to the Cuban
government,'' the report said.
It said Cuba jailed 26 journalists, more than any other country in the
hemisphere.
Cuba was also found to violate multiple articles of international rights
treaties and was urged to free jailed dissidents. One of the prisoners,
José Gabriel Ramón Castillo, was confined to 15 months of solitary
confinement and ''suffered damage to his central nervous system and
other pathologies,'' according to the report.
The report also mentioned Colombia, Haiti and Venezuela as countries of
concern.
Cuba rejects the jurisdiction of the IACHR, saying it was suspended from
the OAS in 1962. OAS officials argue Cuba is still bound to respect
human rights treaties. IACHR communications to Cuba are usually returned
unopened.
In his dissenting vote, Venezuelan representative Freddy Gutiérrez
called the report ''abstract'' and ''vague'' with deeds ''recounted by
one side only'' with sources he considered ''dubious'' and ``taken from
media that systematically oppose the right of the Republic of Cuba
freely to determine its own destiny.''
''It is also contrary to any sound interpretation of the law to seek to
initiate, pursue and issue a condemnation of someone who cannot defend
himself,'' he said.
Representatives from Venezuela and Nicaragua also criticized the report
when it was presented before an OAS judicial committee on Thursday.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/americas/venezuela/story/483160.html
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