BLIND HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVIST BEATEN AND JAILED IN CUBA Braille BIBLE TAKEN AWAY

URGENT ACTION:

SUBJECT: Visually Impaired Human Rights activist Juan Carlos Gonzalez-Leiva beaten and imprisoned by Cuban Government - Braille books taken away.

Your help is needed to take QUICK ACTION to help Juan Carlos Gonzalez-Leiva. He is a blind human rights activist and the director of the independent Agramonte Library in Ciego de Avila, Cuba as well as president of both the Cuban Human Rights Foundation and the Brotherhood of the Independent Blind People of Cuba. Mr. Gonzalez-Leiva was arrested along with several other human rights activists on March 5 in Ciego de Avila, Cuba.

Mr. Gonzalez-Leiva was severely beaten by government security agents and suffered a blow to the head, which required four stitches. Gonzalez and a number of other human rights activists had gathered at a local hospital in an attempt to draw attention to the plight of a journalist who had been admitted there after being attacked by Cuban police.

Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW), a British-based human rights organization, has put out an emergency bulletin about the beating and arrest of Juan Carlos Gonzalez-Leiva, who is now on a hunger strike. Juan Carlos has been placed in a prison cell with a violent common criminal. Juan Carlos is BLIND and cannot defend himself from attack, so your assistance is needed to help him. The CSW bulletin contains information on his case.

For more information on this case please visit:

http://www.csw.org.uk/Latestnews.asp?Item=261

http://www.cubanet.org/CNews/y02/mar02/25e5.htm

RECOMMENDED ACTIONS:

Please contact the Cuban government. Letters should be sent urgently to the addresses below. If you have written previously on this case you should mention it.

Urge the Cuban government for the immediate release of Juan Carlos Gonzalez-Leiva on the grounds that he should not be prosecuted for exercising his right to freedom of expression.
Express concern at his state of health after he was beaten.
Ask for details of his current situation and for details of any medical care he is receiving.
Inform the Cuban government that there is a movement started to free Juan Carlos Gonzalez-Leiva.

Please send copies of your concise and civil letters to:

Cuban Foreign Minister,
Mr. Felipe Perez Roque. His e-mail address is: cubaminrex@minrex.gov.cu

Cuban Libraries Head
eliadesa@jm.lib.cult.cu

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Head of State and Government
Dr Fidel Castro Ruz
Presidente de los Consejos de
Estados y de Ministros
La Habana, Cuba
Fax: via Ministry of Foreign Affairs: +53.7.333 085 / 335 261
Salutation: Su Excelencia/Your Excellency

Sr. Roberto Robaina González (Minister of Foreign Affairs)
Ministro de Relaciones Exteriores
Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores
Calzada No. 360
Vedado
La Habana, Cuba
Fax: +53 7 333085 +53 7 335261
(Salutation: Señor Ministro)

Attorney-General
Dr Juan Escalona Reguera
Fiscal General de la Repdblica,
FiscalRa General de la Repdblica
San Rafael 3, La Habana, Cuba
Telegrams: Fiscal General,
Havana, Cuba
Fax: +53.7.570795/ 53 7 669 485
Salutation: Sr Fiscal General / Dear Attorney General

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