Uncommon Sense

Cuban Political Prisoners of the Day, Vladimir Ortiz & Leonardo Paumier, Sept. 1, 2014

Vladimir Ortiz Suarez

Leonardo Paumier Ramirez

The Cuban Commission on Human Rights and National Reconciliation reported lin June that by its count, there are currently at least 114 political prisoners in Cuban jails, up from 102 at the end of 2013. (Read the list of prisoners here.)

Uncommon Sense is attempting to honor these brave Cubans by sharing their names and little about their respective stories. Ever since I started this blog, I have felt it vital to remember their names, names the regime would rather have the world never know. That is the only way to fully grasp the injustices they are suffering.

Today's prisoners are Vladimir Ortiz Suarez and Leonardo Paumier Ramirez.

Ernesto Tamayo and Miguel Angel Tamayo were among several activists beaten and arrested by police June 13 during a peaceful demonstration in which they demanded the end of hunger and called for higher pay for workers.

The human rights commission says the Guerras, as well as two other activists -- Ernesto Tamayo Guerra and Miguel Angel Tamayo Frias -- remain jailed on unspecified charges, however, there is at least one report that at least two of those arrest face charges of "disrespect" and "resistance," which the regime frequently uses to target its peaceful opposition.

Ernesto Tamayo and Miguel Angel Tamayo were profied on Aug. 31, 2014.

Cuban Political Prisoners of the Day, Ernesto Tamayo & Miguel Angel Tamayo, Aug. 31, 2014

Ernesto Tamayo Guerra

Miguel Angel Tamayo Frias

The Cuban Commission on Human Rights and National Reconciliation reported lin June that by its count, there are currently at least 114 political prisoners in Cuban jails, up from 102 at the end of 2013. (Read the list of prisoners here.)

Uncommon Sense is attempting to honor these brave Cubans by sharing their names and little about their respective stories. Ever since I started this blog, I have felt it vital to remember their names, names the regime would rather have the world never know. That is the only way to fully grasp the injustices they are suffering.

Today's prisoners are Ernesto Tamayo Guerra and Miguel Angel Tamayo Frias.

Ernesto Tamayo and Miguel Angel Tamayo were among several activists beaten and arrested by police June 13 during a peaceful demonstration in which they demanded the end of hunger and called for higher pay for workers.

The human rights commission says the Guerras, as well as two other activists -- Vladimir Ortiz Suarez and Leonardo Paumier Ramirez -- remain jailed on unspecified charges, however, there is at least one report that at least two of those arrest face charges of "disrespect" and "resistance," which the regime frequently uses to target its peaceful opposition.

Ortiz and Paumier will be profied on Sept. 1, 2014.

The Vatican's man in Havana says Cubans' only hope for a better life is to escape Cuba

Archbishop Bruno Musaro

Cuban Political Prisoners of the Day, Reinier Mulet & Miguel Ulloa, Aug. 29, 2014

Reinier Mulet Levis

Miguel Alberto Ulloa Ginar

The Cuban Commission on Human Rights and National Reconciliation reported lin June that by its count, there are currently at least 114 political prisoners in Cuban jails, up from 102 at the end of 2013. (Read the list of prisoners here.)

Uncommon Sense is attempting to honor these brave Cubans by sharing their names and little about their respective stories. Ever since I started this blog, I have felt it vital to remember their names, names the regime would rather have the world never know. That is the only way to fully grasp the injustices they are suffering.

Today's prisoners are Reinier Mulet Levis and Miguel Alberto Ulloa Ginar.

Activists with the Republican Party of Cuba, Mulet and Ulloa were arrested April 10, 2013, on charges of "damaging state property" after they painted anti-government slogans on state property.

More than a year later, according to the human rights commission, the case against the activists remains "pending."

Not much is available on the Internet about the two activists, but the Republican Party did report this past December that Mulet had been placed in a punishment cell at the Valle Grande prison after tried to organize a prison protest to coincide with International Human Rights Day on Dec. 10.

Cuban Political Prisoner of the Day, Yordenis Mendoza Cobas, Aug. 27, 2014

The Cuban Commission on Human Rights and National Reconciliation reported lin June that by its count, there are currently at least 114 political prisoners in Cuban jails, up from 102 at the end of 2013. (Read the list of prisoners here.)

Uncommon Sense is attempting to honor these brave Cubans by sharing their names and little about their respective stories. Ever since I started this blog, I have felt it vital to remember their names, names the regime would rather have the world never know. That is the only way to fully grasp the injustices they are suffering.

Today's prisoner is Yordenis Mendoza Cobas.

Mendoza was one of at least 14 activists with the Patriotic Union of Cuba, or UNPACU, arrested during a demonstration March 14, 2014, in a park in Guantanamo. They were protesting the arrest of another UNPACU activist.

All but Mendoza were released a short time later, and the authorities said Mendoza was being held on an "assault" charge in connection with an incident on Oct. 26, 2013, after he defended a truck driver who was being fined by police.

The human rights commission said Mendoza, one of UNPACU's leading activists in Guantanamo, was tried and convicted of charges of "assault" and "disobedience" and sentenced to three years in prison.

UNPACU, one of the largest and most active opposition groups on the island, this month is commemorating the third anniversary of its founding.

Cuban Political Prisoner of the Day, Angel Yunier Remon Arzuaga, Aug. 26, 2014

Angel Yunier Remon Arzuaga, aka El Critico

The Cuban Commission on Human Rights and National Reconciliation reported lin June that by its count, there are currently at least 114 political prisoners in Cuban jails, up from 102 at the end of 2013. (Read the list of prisoners here.)

Uncommon Sense is attempting to honor these brave Cubans by sharing their names and little about their respective stories. Ever since I started this blog, I have felt it vital to remember their names, names the regime would rather have the world never know. That is the only way to fully grasp the injustices they are suffering.

Today's prisoner is Angel Yunier Remon Arzuaga.

A rap singer better known as "El Critico," Remon has been imprisoned since March 26, 2013, after police agents beat him and other activists and attacked them with tear gas Just days before, the musician had been detained as well. When he returned to his home, Remon, an activist with the Patriotic Union of Cuba,  painted anti-government messages on the walls of his house, which provoked further repression.

Prosecutors have charged Remon with "assault" and announced they are seeking an 8-year sentence, but the case has not come to any resolution.

Capitol Hill Cubans this week provided an update:

He recently spent his 31st birthday as a Cuban political prisoner.

Yunier Remon, whose stage name is "el Critico del Arte" ("The Art Critic"), was attacked with tear gas and arrested ... for his criticism of the Castro regime.

In prison -- where he is being held without charges or trial -- Yunier has been continuously beaten, contracted various diseases, denied family visits and held naked in a punishment cell.

He has undertaken several hunger strikes to protest his cruel and arbitrary imprisonment.

Here's guessing Jay Z has no idea who El Critico is.

Cuban Political Prisoner of the Day, Sandalio Mejias Zulueta, Aug. 25, 2014

Sandalio Mejias Zulueta

The Cuban Commission on Human Rights and National Reconciliation reported lin June that by its count, there are currently at least 114 political prisoners in Cuban jails, up from 102 at the end of 2013. (Read the list of prisoners here.)

Uncommon Sense is attempting to honor these brave Cubans by sharing their names and little about their respective stories. Ever since I started this blog, I have felt it vital to remember their names, names the regime would rather have the world never know. That is the only way to fully grasp the injustices they are suffering.

Today's prisoner is Sandalio Mejias Zulueta.

Mejias, an activist with the Cuban Liberal Party, has been in jail since May after he should "Down with the dictatorship" at a government office in Old Havana. He was found to be a "pre-criminal social danger" -- a common designation for the regime's opponents -- and sentenced to 3 years in prison.

Almost immediately after his arrest, Mejias started a hunger strike.

As of mid-July, Mejias remained on hunger strike, albeit in a prison hospital.

 

Cuban activists have the scars to prove their fight against Castro

In only three years, the Patriotic Union of Cuba, or UNPACU, has grown to become one of the largest and most active opposition groups on the island.

Which is why the Castro police on Sunday attacked UNPACU activists in Santiago de Cuba as they attempted to gather to commemorate the third anniversary of the group's founding. Numerous activists were beaten and/or arrested, according to Martinoticas.com and other reports from the island.

It was all part of at least the 59th Sunday in a row of vicious repression by the regime against the peaceful opposition, with reports of obeatings and arrests from Havana in the west to Holguin in the west, and many spots in between.

Here are photos of two UNPACU activists after they were beaten in Santiago de Cuba.

In them, you can see the face of the Castro dictatorship.

This is Yunaisi Carracedo Milanés:

This is Wilder Cervantes:

Photos from Ana Belkis Ferrer, via Facebook.

Cuban Political Prisoner of the Day, Rolando Sarraff Trujillo, Aug. 24, 2014 (UPDATED)

See below for update.

The Cuban Commission on Human Rights and National Reconciliation reported lin June that by its count, there are currently at least 114 political prisoners in Cuban jails, up from 102 at the end of 2013. (Read the list of prisoners here.)

Uncommon Sense is attempting to honor these brave Cubans by sharing their names and little about their respective stories. Ever since I started this blog, I have felt it vital to remember their names, names the regime would rather have the world never know. That is the only way to fully grasp the injustices they are suffering.

Today's prisoner is Rolando Sarraff Trujillo.

A former Cuban intelligence officer, Sarraff has been imprisoned since 1995, when he was convicted of espionage and sentenced to 25 years in prison.

Other information about Sarraff is not readily available, but a report last week noted that he would turn 51 years old on Aug. 22.

UPDATED, 6:40 p.m. EDT -- Rolando Saraff's sisters, who are in Spain, have a blog on which they report about their brother. Read it here.

Another Sunday of repression in Cuba as regime targets UNPACU, Damas De Blanco

Some of the UNPACU activists attacked on Sunday in Santiago de Cuba. (Photo via Ana Belkis Ferrer on Facebook.)