MADRID, Spain.- Renowned organizations and figures of Cuban civil society, both on and off the island, have joined together to request the nomination of the political prisoner and prisoner of conscience Jose Daniel Ferrer Garcia for the Sakharov Prize, awarded by the European Parliament. The nomination seeks to protect and safeguard the life of the opposition leader, who is in a situation of extreme risk.
A petition backed by a coalition of human rights organisations is calling for urgent international attention and action on behalf of Ferrer García. In a letter to MEPs, the organisations stress the “situation is of the utmost urgency”.
“His life is at serious risk due to the conditions in which he is held and the constant violation of his fundamental rights. José Daniel has been kept in a cell, isolated since his confinement, as an added punishment. Their isolation includes family and telephone contact.“His family has repeatedly reported his worrying health problems and those that may arise from prolonged solitary confinement,” the document states.
Ferrer García, considered a symbol of rebellion against the Cuban regime, has been subjected to constant violations of his rights and cruel and degrading treatment. These conditions have alarmed the international community and have prompted the campaign for his nomination for the Sakharov Prize, which recognizes the defense of human rights. human rights and freedom of thought.
“Given this scenario, and recognizing the power of the international community and of honorary distinctions to draw attention to critical situations, we respectfully request that you consider nominating José Daniel Ferrer García for the prestigious Sakharov Prize. This nomination, even if the prize is not awarded, would represent not only a recognition of his tireless struggle for democracy and the human rights of Cubans, but would also serve as a shield of international protection, increasing pressure on the responsible authorities and providing a ray of hope that could be crucial to saving his life,” the petition details.
Among the signatories of the petition are Carlos Quintela, director of the Cuban American Foundation; Tony Costa, president of the Foundation for Human Rights in Cuba; Sylvia Iriondo, president of Mar por Cuba; and Orlando Gutiérrez Boronat, general secretary of the Cuban Democratic Directorate. Also from Cuba, Martha Beatriz Roque Cabello, from the Cuban Center for Human Rights, and the Sakharov Prize winners Berta Soler and Guillermo Fariñashave joined the petition. Also from Europe, the San Isidro Movement, the Cuban Women’s Network, the Cuban Christian Democratic Party, and the Cuban Observatory of Human Rights, together with other activists and former political prisoners, have supported the initiative.
Ferrer García’s relatives have also submitted their letter to the MEPs, highlighting the use that the Cuban dictatorship has made of Ferrer’s figure in its official media to discredit his struggle. “We want to emphasize how the Castro dictatorship has used Ferrer’s figure in its official media, portraying him as a counterrevolutionary and terrorist, with a marked interest in discrediting his image and discrediting what we know has been a worthy and unwavering struggle for respect for the human rights of the Cuban people,” the relatives write.
The letter concludes with an urgent appeal to MEPs: “We ask and urge you to support the nomination of José Daniel Ferrer for the Sakharov Prize. Your voice and support can make a difference in the life of a man who has sacrificed so much for the freedom of his people and as an icon of the Cuban political prison. We thank you in advance for your attention and solidarity in this just cause.”
On 11 July 2021, Ferrer was arrested for participating in the anti-government protests that day. His house arrest was revoked and he was transferred to Mar Verde prison to serve the remainder of his sentence. Since then, he has been subjected to ill-treatment and violations of the Mandela Rules, which set minimum standards for the treatment of prisoners. In December 2022, Ferrer began a hunger strike, which has been followed by others, as a form of protest against the conditions of his imprisonment. To this day, he remains incarcerated, facing a continuing deterioration of his health.
