HAVANA | Mon Nov 1, 2010 4:59pm EDT
HAVANA (Reuters) - Cuba will free its longest-held political prisoner,
jailed since 1985, and send him to Spain as the government continues to
ship opponents out of the country.
The Catholic Church said on Monday that Cuba had agreed to release three
more prisoners, including Adrian Alvarez, 44, who has been serving a
30-year sentence for stealing rifles while in the Cuban military.
He was allegedly taking the weapons with plans to launch a military
action against the government.
The three prisoners were not included among 52 that Cuban officials
agreed to let go in a July deal with the church.
So far, 39 of those original 52 have been released, and most of those
still behind bars are said to be resisting the government's demand that
they go to Spain.
In the meantime, Cuba has agreed to release 11 other prisoners, bringing
to 50 the total number freed since July.
The releases have relaxed international pressure on Cuba that followed
the February death of jailed dissident Orlando Zapata Tamayo, who died
during a hunger strike for improved prison conditions.
Cuban President Raul Castro is said to want to free all political
prisoners to end one of Cuba's longstanding problems with the
international community.
The Cuban Commission for Human Rights has said there are about 100
political prisoners behind bars.
(Reporting by Rosa Tania Valdes; editing by Jeff Franks and Stacey Joyce)
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