Dr. Darsi Ferrer Ramírez
Update posted below.
The political "re-education" officer at the Vallegrande prison recently delivered a beating to Cuban political prisoner Dr. Darsi Ferrer. Such an assault is never warranted, but to make it worse, Ferrer was handcuffed and unable to defend himself when he was assaulted.
Ferrer, a physician and independent journalist, has been in jail since last July. No formal charges have been filed, but he reportedly has been accused of buying some construction materials on the black market in order to make repairs to his residence after it was damaged during a police raid.
No one believes that. What is more likely is that the dictatorship finally decided to clamp down hard on one of its most persistent and effective critics.
The fact that there is a "re-education" officer on Ferrer's case, is further proof that this is a political, not criminal, prosecution.
Read more about Dr. Ferrer, here.
UPDATE, Jan. 24, 2010 — A report posted at Payo Libre offers a few more details of what happened:
The "re-education" officer, Luis Felipe Betancourt, apparently was angry that Ferrer has not given up his passion for human rights and testifying to the abuses he has witnessed while in prison.
When Ferrer's wife visited the prison, the warden, Julio Perera Ferrer reportedly told her that the officer was wrong to attack her husband.
Yusnaimy Jorge Soca was able see her husband, and reported that he was in good spirits, despite suffering from a swollen wrist and other bumps and bruises.
Recent Comments