Angel Santiesteban Harassed And Threatened In The Prison Of The Regime Which Is A Member Of The UN Human Rights Commission

URGENT: Angel Santiesteban Harassed And Threatened In The Prison Of The
Regime Which Is A Member Of The UN Human Rights Commission
Posted on December 19, 2013

The incommunication problems because of our lack of internet connections
in Cuba have prevented us from offering, as it should have been, the
inside scoop on the harassment and threats that the writer Ángel
Santiesteban-Prats is suffering since early this month at the prison in
which he is currently located. We were hoping to offer firsthand reports
narrated by Angel, to those witnessed by the family who related this to
us by phone.

But not even these communication problems have gotten the regime off the
hook: the journalist Dania Virgen García sent from the island an article
denouncing this new violation of the rights of Angel. It proves once
again that there are many who are willing to stop the injustice
committed against Angel from going unpunished.

We publicly thank Dania Virgen García and all those who have already
reproduced this article in their blogs and other digital media.

The Editor

Here is Dania's article:

Lambasting in the prison of the writer Ángel Santiesteban-Prats

by Dania Virgen García

Havana, Cuba, 17th of Decebmber 2013, Dania Virgen García/www.cubanet.org.-

In the penal settlement of MININT (Ministry of the Interior), in Lawton,
in the Havana municipality of Diez de Octubre, where the writer Ángel
Santiesteban-Prats is held, the re-educator tried to use the common
criminals against him, this past 11th of December.

In the ten months that the writer has been held in the settlement, he
has never participated in the physical countings, inspections or
political activities.

On the day in question, Santiesteban remained in the barracks, when the
prisoners were called to be counted. The re-educator, not seeing the
writer, was annoyed and began to shout insults against him.

Then, from the mouths of the prisoners themselves, he knew that the
re-educator had said he would put him "in a box". The inmates assumed it
was a reference to a coffin.

The reeducator said, moreover, that he would make a report to his
superiors for his misconduct and that Santiesteban was not a political
prisoner.

The inmates realized that reeducator had lied, because some of them have
seen the writer's ID card which has a green stripe that crosses from one
side to another, and over it are the letters CR (counter-revolutionary),
and under his picture the is the word "Warning".

On the night of Friday 13, the settlement was visited by the new head of
CETEM, Major Cobas, who tried to provoke and question the writer.

Since entering prison, the writer Santiesteban-Prats has never eaten
prison stew; instead he eats the provisions which his family has sent
him. He is never seen dressed in prison clothes and he has never
accepted the personal supplies which are given to the prisoners.

He was withdrawn on April 9th this year, from the camp of forced labor
known as CETEM, La Lima, located in the town of Guanabacoa, to Prison
1580, with the intent that he will not be present during the visit of
international journalists who were manipulated by the regime officials.

Currently, the Casa de las Americas Prize for narrative maintains the
same denial in the settlement.

Santiesteban thinks it was naive of the jailer or else that the new boss
wants to provoke him, thus causing a prison indiscipline, accusing him
of a crime to be able to send him to a closed prison. He suspects that
the guards are being manipulated by the repressive Department 21 of the
State Security.

Rest assured that whatever the intention, he will remain with his
principles and ethics, which he has maintained in the 10 months he has
been held for an alleged domestic assault that the trial could not prove.

Translated by: Shane J. Cassidy

17 December 2013

Source: "URGENT: Angel Santiesteban Harassed And Threatened In The
Prison Of The Regime Which Is A Member Of The UN Human Rights Commission
| Translating Cuba" -
http://translatingcuba.com/urgent-angel-santiesteban-harassed-and-threatened-in-the-prison-of-the-regime-which-is-a-member-of-the-un-human-rights-commission/