MADRID, Spain.- Cuban civil society believe recently the Committee for Amnesty for Political Prisoners (CPAPP-Cuba). This initiative, launched on July 18, Nelson Mandela International Day, aims to free Cubans imprisoned for expressing opinions contrary to the regime.
The committee seeks a general amnesty for these prisoners, including both those of conscience and dissidents, and demands official recognition of their status as political prisoners. Jenny Pantojaone of the founders of the group, stressed the need for “joint action by civil society” to confront the growing repression in the country.
“The systemic crisis of our country, as well as the increase in the repression The police and the persecution of dissidents and their families has generated an increase in the already existing deterioration of human rights in the Cuban nation. This can only be countered with the joint action of civil society; hence the proposal of a committee to exert pressure for the achievement of the freedom of all political prisoners. The essence of this action is of a human nature; beyond ideologies and political currents differentiated among Cubans today, so we must unite in this common claim,” reads the committee’s statement, shared by Pantoja on Facebook.
CPAPP-Cuba not only seeks the release of prisoners, but also to improve prison conditions, denounce harassment of family members and guarantee basic rights such as medical care and hygiene in prisons.
The organization is structured horizontally and by consensus, with a general coordination and four specialized areas: Ombudsman, Families of Prisoners, Prison Conditions and Communications. The committee has opened its membership to all Cuban citizens over 18 years of age, regardless of their political ideology, who wish to support this cause.
The committee is being created in a context of increasing repression in Cuba, where according to recent figures, more than a thousand people are serving sentences for political reasons. According to the Justice 11J working group, since the anti-government protests in July 2021, almost 2,000 politically motivated arrests have been documented, with around 770 people still incarcerated.
Follow our channel WhatsApp. Receive the information from CubaNet on your cell phone through Telegram.
