Some of the most admirable Cuban activists on the island are those who challenge the Castro dictatorship by standing up on behalf of their fellow activists held in jail by the regime. They willfully and bravely risk the little freedom they enjoy to demand justice for their fellow Cubans.
Two such activists are Hugo Damien Prieto Blanco and Wilberto Parada, who were recently arrested because of their role in organizing a peaceful, albeit loud, protest on Oct 22 at the Cuban justice ministry to demand the release of three other activists who had been arrested for approaching Pope Francis during his visit to Cuba in September.
Three days later, on Oct. 25, Prieto, a member of the Frente de Acción Cívica “Orlando Zapata Tamayo," was arrested in Havana and charged with "public disorder." After being held at a local police station, Prieto last week was transferred to the Valle Grande prison in Havana.
Parrada, a member of the Patriotic Union of Cuba, was transferred to the same prison.
This is not the first time Prieto and Parrada have been jailed by the regime; Uncommon Sense has profiled them before.
Three activists arrested during the papal Mass have been released, although one of them was arrested this past Sunday and remains in jail
Front Line Defenders has more about Prieto.
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