The Information
Bridge Cuba Miami
(CIEGO DE AVILA, March 4th)- On Monday, March 4, 2002 at noon, independent
journalists and peaceful human rights activists, of the Cuban Foundation
for Human Rights, were brutally attacked by forces of the Cuban State Security
in Ciego de Avila, as they were on their way to a meeting.
The political police surrounded the house of Juan Carlos Gonzalez Leiva,
president of the Cuban Foundation for Human Rights, located at Honorato del
Castillo #134, Entre República y Cuba Ciego de Avila.
Around 14 of said organization were physically attacked and taken to
the Technical Department of the State Security in Ciego de Avila.
Jesus Alvarez Castillo, an independent journalist and director of the Free
Press Agency of Ciego de Avila, fainted from the blows he received at the hands
of the State Security forces and had to be taken to the Provincial Hospital by
other activists, where physicians screamed insults at them.
Others were taken to the outskirts of the city and left abandoned kilometers
away form their homes.
Arquímides Quintana Aguiar, a blind activist, was strangled to
silence his shouts of, "Long Live Human Rights!"
The Lawton Foundation hold the Cuban government responsible for the physical
and mental well being of all human rights activists involved in this incident,
and requests dignitaries of democratic nations, human rights organizations, the
international press and all men and women of good will, to denounce their unjust
detainment and the physical and mental torture to which these activists are
subjected to.
Please send telegrams/ telexes/ faxes/ express/ airmail letters to Cuban
officials inside Cuba, and representatives of Cuba accredited in your country.
Testimony from Cuba given via telephone by Maritza
Calderin Colombie, wife of Juan Carlos Gonzalez Leiva, a blind lawyer, president
of the Cuban Foundation for Human Rights in Cuba. The source of this information
is the Lawton Foundation. E-mail: [email protected].
Given to The Information Bridge Cuba Miami on March 4th, 2002. | 
