Cuba frees political prisoner who refused exile deal

[dipsydoodle]

The Cuban government has freed one of 13 dissidents who have been refusing a government deal to go into exile in exchange for their freedom.

The prisoner, Arnaldo Ramos Lauzurique, will remain in the country on parole.

In July Cuban President Raul Castro agreed to release 52 prisoners under a deal brokered by the Roman Catholic Church and the Spanish government.

Thirty-nine of them were freed and sent into exile in Spain, but the remaining 13 have refused to leave the island.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-11752157

[Judi Lynn]

1. Cuba frees dissident who got US money

Cuba frees dissident who got US money
By ANDREA RODRIGUEZ
Associated Press
November 14, 2010

HAVANA — The first of 13 remaining Cuban dissidents jailed since 2003 was released from prison Saturday and returned to his home in the capital, a strong signal the government intends to release all of the men despite their refusal to go into exile.

Bertha Soler, a member of the Ladies in White dissident group, told The Associated Press that Arnaldo Ramos Lauzurique had "arrived at his apartment" in central Havana after his wife received a telephone call from Havana Cardinal Jaime Ortega informing her of the government's intentions.

~snip~
The 68-year-old Ramos was sentenced to 18 years in prison in 2003 along with 74 other activists on charges of receiving money and support from the United States to destroy the revolution. Some of them were later released for health reasons.

After a meeting with President Raul Castro on July 7, Ortega announced that the 52 still in prison would be let go over the course of four months. Thirty-nine of the men were freed and sent into exile in Spain, but progress stalled as the last 13 refused to leave the island.

More:
http://www.capecodonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20101114/NEWS11/101119868

[Judi Lynn]

2. K & R.

:kick: :kick: :kick: :kick:

[Mika]

3. Note, he's out on parole.

His prison sentence for acting as an unregistered agent of a foreign enemy state was served. Now he's on parole. If this man violates any laws, then, according to the rules of parole, he can be put back in prison for parole violation - just like here.

No parole for the Cuban Five currently imprisoned in US Supermax gulags (that are in violation of the Geneva Convention on torture).

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