The Cuban Catholic Church reported over the weekend that the "process to release the 52 prisoners is completed," as called for by the church's deal with Spain and the Castro dictatorship.
But 13 of those prisoners remain in jail, including 12 who repeatedly have insisted they will not accept release if it means having to take forced exile to Spain, as the first 39 did. (The 13th prisoner, Luis Enrique Ferrer García has agreed to leave Cuba, but there seems to be a hang-up over which family members will be able to leave with him.
One of the 12, Dr. Oscar Elias Biscet, re-stated his position in a telephone conversation Oct. 9 with Cardinal Jaime Ortega.
"Oscar told him what the cardinal already knows, that he simply will not leave Cuba," said Biscet's wife, Elsa Morejón.
Officials insist all the prisoners will soon be released, perhaps as soon as Oct. 25 when the European Union meets to discuss its "common position" linking the chance of better relations with Havana to the dictatorship's human rights practices.
But remember this: There has been official word, from the regime or its partners in the Cuban archdiocese, about what will happen to those prisoners who refuse exile.
The 12 are:
1. Pedro Argüelles Morán (sentenced to 20 years)
2. Oscar Elias Biscet (25 years)
3. Eduardo Díaz Fleitas (21 years)
4. José Daniel Ferrer García (25 years)
5. Diosdado González Marrero (20 years)
6. Ivan Hernández Carrillo (25 years)
7. Librado Linares García (20 years)
8. Héctor Maseda Gutiérrez (20 years)
9. Juan Angel Moya Acosta (20 years)
10. Félix Navarro Rodríguez (25 years)
11. Arnaldo Ramos Lauzurique (18 years)
12. Guido Sigler Amaya (20 years)
All 12 have been in jail since the "black spring" of 2003. The number of years is the length of their respective sentences.
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