Havana, Cuba – After more than 24 hours in an unknown whereabouts, the leader of the ladies of Blanco, Berta Soler, and her husband, the former political and activist prisoner Ángel Moya, were released this Friday but remain under house arrest.
The headquarters of the Ladies of Blanco, in the Lawton municipality, in Havana, continues surrounded For state securityhe transmitted to Cubanet Ángel Moya.
The activists were arrested by the Political Police this Thursday between 1:00 pm and 2:00 pm in La Virgen del Camino, San Miguel del Padrón municipality, Havana. Moya was transferred to the Guanabacoa Police Unit, and Soler, to that of the Cotorro.
Moya related to this media that the officers informed both him and his wife, that both were under investigation for “attempting against the constitutional order and Against sovereignty and the independence of Cuba ”(crimes typified in the Cuban Criminal Code). The reason for these accusations was, as they explained, meet with diplomatic officials, although they did not specify who they referred to.
The former prisoner of the 75 group also pointed out that his cell phones and telephone lines were occupied by the authorities. For this reason, activists are incommunicado.
Due to the “investigative process”, the authorities notified that both Moya and Soler are currently under “house arrest.” But “we will not accept it,” said the former political prisoner, “because the headquarters of the Blanco ladies is not dungeon.”
At the end of March, Berta and her husband gathered in Havana with the head of the United States Embassy in Havana, Mike Hammer. According to a Report From the diplomatic headquarters on Facebook, during the meeting “they discussed the situation of human rights in Cuba, the importance of freedom of religion and the promotion of the dignity of all Cubans” and “together call all political prisoners be released.”
Shortly after, Hammer and Soler attended the Mass of Palm Sunday in the Church of Santa Rita. The American diplomat transferred the police fence that weekly prevents Soler from attending Mass, and then returned it to his home. Less than five days later, the activist and her husband were arrested and processed judicially.
The Blanco Ladies movement has indicated that this is not the first time that Soler and Moya are arrested in recent weeks. On April 6 they were arrested when trying to leave their home – which also works as the headquarters of the group – to participate in a peaceful protest in favor of political prisoners. Previously, on March 30, both were transferred to police stations for refusing a medical examination during an arrest, in an episode that included threats against Soler by a common inmate with a history of murder.
The current harassment coincides with commemoration Holy Weekduring which the Political Police have maintained vigilance in religious processions and arrested several human rights activists.
