Cuba: Arrest of oppossition member

Case CUB 130597

The International Secretariat of OMCT requests your URGENT
intervention in the following situation in Cuba.

Brief description of the situation :
Antenna International, a member of the network, has expressed its
grave concern over the safety and freedom of Mr. Reinaldo ALFARO,
vice-president of the Association for the Struggle against National
Injustice (ALFIN).

According to reports, Mr ALFARO was arrested on Thursday 8th of May
1997 in Havana few hours after ALFIN had convened the mothers of
political prisoners to appear before the National Assembly with a
petition for an amnesty for their sons.

According to the same reports, Mrs Beatriz GARCIA, mother of Mr
ALFARO, stated that her son was arrested by agents of the State
Security who turned up at his home without an order for arrest or a
search warrant and took him away to an unknown destination.

Action requested :
Please write to the Cuban authorities urging them to :

i.      reveal the whereabouts of Mr REINALDO ALFARO, guarantee in all
circumstances the respect of his physical and psychological integrity
and order his immediate release in the absence of judicially valid
charges or, if such charges exist, bring him before a competent and
impartial civil court which will rule on the situation in accordance
with the rules of due process;

ii.     put an end to detention without valid judicial cause, as well as
to every form of intimidation, threat or violence for political or
presumed political reasons;

iii.    guarantee the full respect of human rights and fundamental
freedoms throughout the country in accordance with national laws and
international standards.

Addresses :
S.E. Dr. Fidel Castro Ruz, Presidente del Consejo de la Revolución,
Palacio de la Revolución, La Habana, Cuba. Fax : (+ 53 7) 51 11 22 or
+ 51 14 64 or + 51 29 50 (via Minstry of Foreign Affairs)

Dr. Roberto Díaz Sotolongo, Ministro de Justicia, Ministerio de
Justicia, Calle O # 216, 8° piso e/23 y Humboldt, Vedado, La Habana,
Cuba. Fax : (+ 53 7) 51 11 22 or 51 14 64 or 51 29 50 (via Minstry of
Foreign Affairs)

Sr. Roberto Robaina Gonzáles, Ministro de Relaciones Exteriores,
Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores, Calzada No. 360, Vedado, La
Habana, Cuba. Fax : (+ 53 7) 51 11 22 or 51 14 64 or 51 29 50

The Cuban Embassy in your respective countries.

Geneva, May 13th 1997

Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code number of
this appeal in your reply.
Ben Schonveld
Projects Manager
OMCT-SOS-Torture
Fax 4122 733 1051
Ph  4122 733 3140
OMCT is: l'Organisation Mondiale contre la Torture
         The World Organisation Against Torture

The Human Rights Action Network, a part of Derechos Human Rights, distributes appeals on behalf of victims of human rights violations. You are invited to join the network. Please check the date of the present action and do not write if it's over a month old.