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Mark C. N. Sullivan is an editor at a Massachusetts university. He is married and the father of three children. Email
Havana seeks death penalty for Catholic human-rights activist
In a step which has drawn widespread condemnation, Cuban officials have requested the death penalty for Catholic human rights activist Jose Daniel Ferrer Garcia.
Mr Garcia, one of the leaders of the Christian Liberation Movement on the island, is accused of "acts against the independence and territorial entirety of the state."
And according to experts, the move comes as the Castro regime has taken more suppressive measures in the past few weeks during which there have been at least 80 arrests.
Fellow human rights activist Dr Oscar Elias Biscet has also become a victim of the crackdown and faces 25 years in prison after being recently rearrested and charged with "disorderly conduct".
Dr Biscet has recently been involved in promoting a grassroots project called the Friends of Human Rights, a forum through which small groups could meet in homes to learn about human rights and ways to defend and demand them peacefully.
The Christian Liberation Movement through its Varela Project has sought a national referendum on freedom of the press, on organizing democratic elections, on freeing political prisoners and on economic reforms.
So when will we be hearing from the Catholic Left on the Cuban crackdown?
At the Common Dreams progressive newswire, a search of the headline archive for this month and last turned up no references to Cuba or to Fidel.
The chairman of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops' international policy committee has called on Cuba to release dissidents. The USCCB still advocates lifting the embargo, which, it should be noted, has not prevented Castro from living in luxury.
Matthew Hoy runs a list of democracy advocates who have been imprisoned in Cuba. (Via MCJ)
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