Cuban dissidents detained ahead of protest
By ANNE-MARIE GARCIA
Associated Press
HAVANA -- A leading human rights worker said Friday that authorities
have detained two former political prisoners in eastern Cuba, the first
arrests involving members of a group of 75 intellectuals and social
commentators since they were freed after a 2003 crackdown on dissent.
The detention of Angel Moya and Jose Daniel Ferrer occurred as the men
were preparing to march in the town of Palma Soriano, said Elizardo
Sanchez, a prominent human rights activist on the island. Moya is the
husband of Berta Soler, a leader of the Ladies in White dissident group.
The last of the prisoners from 2003 were freed earlier this year under
an agreement between Roman Catholic Cardinal Jaime Ortega and President
Raul Castro, but the Ladies in White have kept up their opposition
activities.
Sanchez said the detentions occurred a day after a march by the Ladies
in White in Santiago at which nearly two dozen people were detained,
including another of the group's leaders, Laura Pollan. But all of those
people were quickly released, he said.
A similar march Thursday in Havana also resulted in arrests, though
Soler told The Associated Press that those detained in the capital were
not linked to her group.
Soler said Thursday's arrests were the result of "provocations by a
small group with which we have nothing to do."
Dissidents have complained of increasing harassment in recent weeks as
they seek to expand their activities outside the capital.
On Monday, the Cuban Roman Catholic Church denounced acts of abuse by
pro-government crowds against the Ladies and said it had received
assurances from Castro's government that officials were not behind the
violence.
Cuban officials insist that the counter-protests at the Ladies' marches
are spontaneous, though state security officials are normally present.
State media have claimed the uptick in reports of alleged harassment is
part of a foreign news media campaign being orchestrated by exiles and
other political opponents.
The government considers the opposition to be common criminals and
mercenaries paid by Washington to stir up trouble.
In its statement Monday, the church called on both sides to lower the
tension level, saying any behavior that "could hurt peaceful existence
and harm the good of the nation will never receive any support from
those with a Christian view of the world."
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