Arroz Con Frijoles

Via Cuban Democratic Directorate come these tasty morsels of Cuba-related information:

(Click on the headlines for more.)

International organizations condemn human rights violations in Cuba at United Nations

GENEVA, September 26, 2006, Cuban Democratic Directorate – Representatives of international NGO’s condemned the systematic human rights violations in Cuba today at the second meeting of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva. Their statements followed that of Christine Chanet, Special Representative for the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on the current situation in Cuba.

“On repeated occasions the government of Cuba has been asked to join the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, as well as its two Special Procedures, and the International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights. The response of the Cuban government has been silence and its refusal to accept the mandate of the High Commissioner’s Personal Representative, whose entry to Cuba has been impossible. This attitude can be explained by the facts. In Cuba, the people’s fundamental rights are violated. There are more than 300 political prisoners held in overcrowded and unsanitary conditions,” stated Natalia Bellusova, representing the Liberal International.

And then there was this one ...

Cuban political prisoner is beaten

Holguín, September 23, 2006, Cuban Democratic Directorate – According to a report by Eliecer Consuegra Rivas of the Eastern Democratic Alliance, Cuban political prisoner, Digxán Ramírez Ballester, was beaten by guards at Playa Manteca prison in the municipality of Mayari in the Holguin province. The incident occurred on September 18th. The information was provided by Ahmed Rodriguez Albacia, an independent journalist.

“Ramirez Ballester was carrying out a hunger strike in protest against the arbitrary abuses of which prisoners are victim at the penitentiary when he was handcuffed and brutally beaten by prison officers Wilber and Carlos in the presence of José Ramón Matos Leiva, chief prison officer, and six other officers,” reported Eliécer Consuegra Rivas.

The report also states that Carlos Miguel López Santos, Fidel García Roldán, Elio Terrero Gómez and Ramírez Ballester himself are now on hunger strike in protest for this arbitrary beating."