Mother harassed for marching for dead son: Reina Luisa Tamayo
UA: 174/10 Index: AMR 25/012/2010 Cuba Date: 11 August 2010
URGENT ACTION
MOTHER HARASSED FOR MARCHING FOR DEAD SON
The mother of a Cuban prisoner of conscience who died after hunger
striking has been repeatedly harassed and intimidated in an attempt to
stop her from organizing marches to commemorate her son's death. The
next march is planned for 15 August.
Reina Luisa Tamayo is the mother of Orlando Zapata Tamayo, a prisoner of
conscience who died on 22 February 2010, having spent several weeks on
hunger strike whilst in prison. Since her son's death, Reina Luisa
Tamayo has organized weekly marches on Sundays in the town of Barnes,
Holguin Province, Cuba, to honour her son's memory.
Relatives and friends accompany Reina Luisa Tamayo on these weekly
marches from her home to attend mass at the Nuestra Señora de la Caridad
Church, in Barnes and from there to the cemetery where Orlando Zapata
Tamayo is buried. Last Sunday, 8 August, the group reported that as soon
as they tried to leave Reina Luisa Tamayo's house to start their march,
they were confronted a few metres away from the house by hundreds of
government supporters who blocked their way and beat some of the
participants. They were pushed back to the house and followed into the
house's garden. The participants tried twice more to leave the house and
resume the march but they were again violently confronted by the
government supporters, who stayed outside the house until late in the
afternoon. According to Reina Luisa Tamayo, during all this time a
police patrol was close to her house watching as the events unfolded and
failing to intervene.
The group have reported how prior to 8 August, they have also been
confronted by government supporters and state security officials who
have gathered around Reina Luisa Tamayo's house and prevented them from
marching, sometimes preventing them from reaching the church, the
cemetery, or both. They have also reported how state security officials
and police officers have set up check points on the routes to Reina
Luisa Tamayo's house on the day prior to the march to prevent people
from reaching the house and joining the march.
PLEASE WRITE IMMEDIATELY in Spanish or your own language:
*
Calling on the authorities to ensure an immediate halt to the
harassment and intimidation of Reina Luisa Tamayo by government
supporters, and that of her relatives and friends and any other citizens
who seek to peacefully exercise their right to freedom of expression,
assembly and association;
*
Calling on the authorities to permit Reina Luisa Tamayo and
others to march peacefully as is their right on Sundays.
PLEASE SEND APPEALS BEFORE 22 SEPTEMBER 2010 TO:
Head of State and Government
Raúl Castro Ruz Presidente
La Habana, Cuba
Fax: +53 7 8333085 (via Foreign Ministry); +1 2127791697 (via Cuban
Mission to UN)
Email: cuba@un.int (c/o Cuban Mission to UN)
Salutation: Su Excelencia/Your Excellency
Interior Minister
General Abelardo Coloma Ibarra
Ministro del Interior y Prisiones
Ministerio del Interior, Plaza de la Revolución, La Habana, Cuba
Fax: +53 7 8333085 (via Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
+1 2127791697 (via Cuban Mission to UN)
Salutation: Su Excelencia/Your Excellency
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