Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07HAVANA386
2007-04-19 13:22:00
CONFIDENTIAL
US Interests Section Havana
Cable title:
BISCET, PULIDO SUFFER IN PRISON, AND OTHER ABUSES
how-toVZCZCXRO0861 RR RUEHAG RUEHROV DE RUEHUB #0386 1091322 ZNY CCCCC ZZH R 191322Z APR 07 FM USINT HAVANA TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1619 INFO RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE RUEHWH/WESTERN HEMISPHERIC AFFAIRS DIPL POSTS RUEHSW/AMEMBASSY BERN 0089 RUEHROV/AMEMBASSY VATICAN 0071 RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 0105 RHEHAAA/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC RUESDM/JTLO MIAMI FL RUCOGCA/COMNAVBASE GUANTANAMO BAY CU RUMIAAA/USCINCSO MIAMI FL
C O N F I D E N T I A L HAVANA 000386
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/18/2017
TAGS: PHUM CU
SUBJECT: BISCET, PULIDO SUFFER IN PRISON, AND OTHER ABUSES
REF: HAVANA 362
Classified By: COM Michael Parmly; Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)
C O N F I D E N T I A L HAVANA 000386
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/18/2017
TAGS: PHUM CU
SUBJECT: BISCET, PULIDO SUFFER IN PRISON, AND OTHER ABUSES
REF: HAVANA 362
Classified By: COM Michael Parmly; Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)
1. (SBU) Political Prisoners Wither Away: High-profile
political prisoner Dr. Oscar Elias Biscet's wife, Elsa
Morejon, visited USINT April 17 and described Biscet's
deteriorated physical condition at Combinado del Este prison:
Severe bucal sepsis; arterial hypertension;
hypercolesterolemia; gastroduodenal ulcer; and osteoarthritis
in the upper spinal column. Morejon released a document to
international media with these and other details, including
the maximum-security regime under which Biscet is held, even
though his "crimes" were all non-violent. Earlier on April
17, Rebecca Rodriguez Souto spoke to Pol-Econ Counselor about
the deteriorating health of her husband, political prisoner
Alfredo Manuel Pulido Lopez, a dentist and independent
journalist arrested in the Spring 2003 crackdown. According
to Ms. Rodriguez Souto, he has severe bronchitis and other
respiratory ailments that are life-threatening. Prison
paramedics, she added, are aware of the severity of his
condition, but have no authority to get him the medical care
he requires.
2. (SBU) Journalist Arrested/Sentenced: Media April 18
reported the arrest and summary sentencing of Oscar Sanchez
Madan, an independent journalist from Matanzas. Sanchez
Madan, according to media accounts, has a four-year prison
sentence for the crime of "dangerousness." He is well and
favorably known to USINT, and had filed reports regularly on
human rights violations and economic
backwardness/mismanagement in Matanzas province. Two
dissident associates of Sanchez Madan visited Human Rights
Assistant on April 16 and told her that State Security warned
them "They will be next" in line for arrest on a
"dangerousness" charge.
3. (SBU) Phoned Death Threat: On the evening of April 17,
opposition leader Martha Beatriz Roque (MBR) called Pol-Econ
Counselor and played back a taped phone conversation she had
just had with a State-Security goon who warned her that "Bad
things could happen to her," and that "She's putting her life
in danger." MBR repeated to the caller her understanding that
this was a death threat, and told him she would replay the
call on Radio Marti. MBR the following evening told us that
Portuguese (RTP) TV reporter Sandra Felgueiras and her
cameraman, Bruno de Jesus, were detained on their way to
interviewing her.
4. (C) Comment: These incidents reinforce the main theme of
our report last week (Reftel),that there is no let-up in
repression from the Castro-led regime, regardless of whether
it is Fidel or Raul Castro calling the shots. The threat to
MBR is very likely the first regime reaction to the
democratic opposition's "Unity for Liberty" document,
released over this past weekend.
PARMLY
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/18/2017
TAGS: PHUM CU
SUBJECT: BISCET, PULIDO SUFFER IN PRISON, AND OTHER ABUSES
REF: HAVANA 362
Classified By: COM Michael Parmly; Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)
1. (SBU) Political Prisoners Wither Away: High-profile
political prisoner Dr. Oscar Elias Biscet's wife, Elsa
Morejon, visited USINT April 17 and described Biscet's
deteriorated physical condition at Combinado del Este prison:
Severe bucal sepsis; arterial hypertension;
hypercolesterolemia; gastroduodenal ulcer; and osteoarthritis
in the upper spinal column. Morejon released a document to
international media with these and other details, including
the maximum-security regime under which Biscet is held, even
though his "crimes" were all non-violent. Earlier on April
17, Rebecca Rodriguez Souto spoke to Pol-Econ Counselor about
the deteriorating health of her husband, political prisoner
Alfredo Manuel Pulido Lopez, a dentist and independent
journalist arrested in the Spring 2003 crackdown. According
to Ms. Rodriguez Souto, he has severe bronchitis and other
respiratory ailments that are life-threatening. Prison
paramedics, she added, are aware of the severity of his
condition, but have no authority to get him the medical care
he requires.
2. (SBU) Journalist Arrested/Sentenced: Media April 18
reported the arrest and summary sentencing of Oscar Sanchez
Madan, an independent journalist from Matanzas. Sanchez
Madan, according to media accounts, has a four-year prison
sentence for the crime of "dangerousness." He is well and
favorably known to USINT, and had filed reports regularly on
human rights violations and economic
backwardness/mismanagement in Matanzas province. Two
dissident associates of Sanchez Madan visited Human Rights
Assistant on April 16 and told her that State Security warned
them "They will be next" in line for arrest on a
"dangerousness" charge.
3. (SBU) Phoned Death Threat: On the evening of April 17,
opposition leader Martha Beatriz Roque (MBR) called Pol-Econ
Counselor and played back a taped phone conversation she had
just had with a State-Security goon who warned her that "Bad
things could happen to her," and that "She's putting her life
in danger." MBR repeated to the caller her understanding that
this was a death threat, and told him she would replay the
call on Radio Marti. MBR the following evening told us that
Portuguese (RTP) TV reporter Sandra Felgueiras and her
cameraman, Bruno de Jesus, were detained on their way to
interviewing her.
4. (C) Comment: These incidents reinforce the main theme of
our report last week (Reftel),that there is no let-up in
repression from the Castro-led regime, regardless of whether
it is Fidel or Raul Castro calling the shots. The threat to
MBR is very likely the first regime reaction to the
democratic opposition's "Unity for Liberty" document,
released over this past weekend.
PARMLY