More Than 100 Political Dissidents Arrested In Cuba

More Than 100 Political Dissidents Arrested In Cuba
The arrests took place Sunday, when activists traditionally march
through Havana following Mass.
posted on Feb. 24, 2015, at 12:53 a.m.
Claudia Koerner
BuzzFeed News Reporter

Women with the dissident Ladies in White group march after a church
service on March 25, 2012 in Havana, Cuba. Joe Raedle / Getty Images
More than 100 anti-government activists were arrested in Cuba on Sunday,
the Associated Press reported.

Many of the arrests took place at a weekly march in Havana, a member of
the dissident group Ladies in White told the AP. The head of a human
rights group in Cuba said that around the country, arrests numbered
between 150 and 200.

The arrests prompted concern from Assistant Secretary of State Roberta
Jacobson, who is the lead U.S. negotiator with the Cuban government.

Roberta Jacobson ✔ @WHAAsstSecty
Follow
Concerned about violent silencing of peaceful voices for change in
#Cuba. #FreedomOfExpression #HumanRights
9:45 PM - 23 Feb 2015

Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida also released a statement calling on U.S.
officials to show their commitment to human rights in Cuba.

It's clear there is zero intent on behalf of the Castro dictatorship to
engage in a genuine conversation that centers around bringing freedom to
the island's residents…
As the U.S. negotiators come face-to-face with Cuba's negotiators later
this week, the administration must insist that any future negotiations
place democracy, human rights, free expression and the free will of the
Cuban people to choose their own leaders through multi-party elections
as the highest priority before any more concessions are made to the regime.
Claudia Koerner is a reporter for BuzzFeed News and is based in Los Angeles.

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