DECLARATION

The Cuba’s Working Group of the International Society for Human Rights (ISHR) issues the present Declaration in order to condemn the outrage perpetrated several days ago by a group of police agents against the outstanding bloggers Yoani Sánchez (who—as it is known—has received numerous important international prizes) and Orlando Luis Pardo, as well as against several friends of them.

As it has been informed, the authors of this outrage (several unknown men dressed in civilian clothes) travelled in a Chinese-made black car, in which they wanted to make Yoani and Orlando enter. The former, afraid that the whole affair could be not a police action, but a kidnapping perpetrated by gangsters, demanded the individuals either to identify themselves or to show a detention order, which they didn’t do; on the contrary, they began to repeatedly hit and push both intellectuals, whom they forced to enter the vehicle. Somewhat later, the men set them free.

This arbitrary detention took place in the context of a peaceful march against violence, which several scores of citizens intended to make (and which they indeed made several minutes later) in the central 23^rd Street. Taking into account that the main object of repression (as it has already been said) were not the demonstrators, but the alternative informers, our Working Group considers that here we are in face of a new attack against the free emission of thought and against the freedom of information.

The Cuba’s Working Group of the ISHR energetically condemns this new outrage of the totalitarian regime.

Havana, November 9, 2009

On behalf of the Executive Board of the Working Group:

René Gómez Manzano

President

NOTE: Although the denounced facts had taken place several days before, the present Declaration could be issued only on Monday 9, due to the difficulties confronted here in Cuba to obtain independent information. On the other hand, although the document—as it has been said—is dated the 9^th, only today—Thursday November 12—it has been possible to broadcast it, and this because of the obstacles put by the totalitarian regime in order to hinder their subjects’ access to internet.