As the Amnesty International UK country coordinator for Cuba, I felt your readers may be interested to learn about an Urgent Action issued recently on the subject of human rights lawyers under threat in Cuba.
Cubalex is a Havana-based NGO providing free legal and human rights advice, but it is not recognised by the Cuban authorities, and its members have been subjected to months of harassment and intimidation. Amnesty is calling on the authorities to allow members of Cubalex to operate freely without fear of punishment, reprisal or intimidation.
News from Cuba has obviously been dominated by the death of Fidel Castro, and predictably, as feelings and debates about Cuba have been largely polarised for decades, we have seen an outpouring of grief on the island, scenes of jubilation across the water in Miami, and a huge amount of comment on the legacy of Fidel. However, whatever one’s views on this legacy may be, Amnesty continues to have serious concerns about human rights issues.
Sue Bingham, Amnesty International UK country coordinator, Cuba; English Speaking Caribbean, North America & Caribbean team leader
