Antúnez describes detentions

Cuban human rights activist Jorge Luis García Pérez “Antúnez,” was released after serving more than 17 years in prison. This week, he was one of the dozens of dissidents arrested, as they tried to protest the treatment of political prisoners in Fidel Castro's gulag.

Cuban Democratic Directorate has posted Antúnez's description of what happened:

According to recently released political prisoner Jorge Luis García Pérez “Antúnez”, they were taken to the Technical Department of Investigations known as “Cien y Aldabó” in the City of Havana. There, they were incarcerated in cells with inhumane conditions while being physically abused by authorities. The group included various female activists.

“Yesmi Elena, who was with me, was beaten and strip searched by three female guards at the '10 de Octubre' Police Station. She has a wound above her right lung, and has scratches and beatings on her head. When they finished with her, they proceeded to beat me, I have beatings on my head, scratches, also on my hand, and they ripped by pants trying to take them off to strip search me,” informed Idania Yánes Contreras from Santa Clara.

After being repeatedly mistreated for several hours, the activists were released under threat of being arrested again. Among those arrested were 26 activists from Villa Clara.

“What has just taken place demonstrates that the peaceful opposition in Cuba is united. No organization prevailed over any other during this activity. No specific names were mentioned. We were all there as members of the opposition. Our only goal was to support and express our solidarity with our imprisoned brothers,” Antúnez told the Cuban Democratic Directorate from Placetas, in the province of Villa Clara shortly after being arrested.

Read the whole report here.