CUBANET ALERT (102496-1)

CONCERN OVER THE WELL-BEING OF TWO JAILED DISSIDENTS IN CAMAGUEY, CUBA.

Camaguey (Cuba), October 22, 1996, PATRIA Agency.

>From Cuba, the United Democratic Front for CamagueyCiego de Avila urgently calls on all international human rights organizations to rally to the defense of Jose A. Nieves Arrieta and Alberto Hernandez Frometa.

As reported to the PATRIA Independent News Agency by activist Pedro Arguelles Moran, who represents the Cuban Pro-Human Rights Committee in Ciego de Avila, Nieves and Frometa have been held incommunicado at the Camaguey headquarters of State Security--known as Cuartel Garrido--since 1 p.m. on October 21.

Following an exhaustive and illegal search of their homes, both dissidents were accused of possessing unconventional literature or subversive propaganda. The publications found included foreign newspapers and magazines, among them El Nuevo Herald [Spanishlanguage edition of The Miami Herald], Catalog of Writings (Catalogo de Letras) and Dissident (Disidente).

Engineer Jose A. Nieves Arrieta is a delegate to the Cuban Pro-Human Rights Committee in Camaguey and Alberto Hernandez Frometa holds the same position on the National Council for Civil Rights. It is for this reason that they are constantly persecuted, watched and arrested.

Due to the danger associated with confinement within the sadly well-known Cuartel de Garrido in Camaguey, there is concern over the physical well-being of both dissidents.

We also alert the world once again to the unconstitutional, repressive practices used by the Cuban government to intimidate peaceful dissidents and independent journalists, such as in the case of Magaly Pino, Bernardo Fuentes Camblor, Jose Milla and Ramon Alberto Cruz Lima--all members of the PATRIA agency--who have been threatened with being sent to prison for exercising their right to freedom of the press. At the same time, their telephone service is interrupted and controlled to prevent them from communicating overseas.

Reported by Miguel del Valle.

ACTIONS RECOMMENDED BY CUBANET: Please, send e-mail messages, faxes or telexes:

• expressing concern over the arrests of Jose A. Nieves Arrieta and Alberto Hernandez Frometa;
• urging that they be set free immediately and unconditionally, as the charges against them violate the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, of which Cuba is a signatory;
• urging that the members of PATRIA and other independent journalists be allowed to perform their legitimate activities without interference from the authorities.

APPEALS TO ONE OR ALL OF THE FOLLOWING:

1. President, National Assembly Sr. Ricardo Alarcon Presidente, Asamblea Nacional del Poder Popular La Habana, Cuba [E-Mail: anpp@ceniai.cu asamnac@redacc.cu] (Salutation: Dear Mr. President)

2. Attorney General Dr. Juan Escalona Reguera Fiscal General de la Republica Fiscalia General de la Republica San Rafael 3, La Habana, Cuba [Fax: 011 53 7 333164] [Telex: 307 511456 fisge] (Salutation: Dear Attorney General)

3. Minister of Foreign Relations Sr Roberto Robaina Gonzalez Ministro de Relaciones Exteriores Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores Calzada No. 360 Vedado, La Habana, Cuba [Fax: + 53 7 333085 / + 53 7 335261] [Telex: 511122 / 512950] (Salutation: Dear Minister)

COPIES TO:

1. National Union of Jurists Union Nacional de Juristas de Cuba La Habana, Cuba [E-Mail: jdn@ceniai.cu]

2. Granma Newspaper Periodico Granma La Habana, Cuba [E-Mail: pgranma@ceniai.cu granmai@tinored.cu]

3. Center for Political Alternatives Centro de Estudios sobre Alternativas Politicas La Habana, Cuba [E-Mail: ceap@tinored.cu]

and the Cuban diplomatic representatives in your country.

Cuba has no embassy in the US at present.
To contact its interest in the US, write:

Cuban Interests Section
Mr. Alfonso Fraga Perez
2630 - 16th St. NW
Washington, DC 20009

Please send appeals immediately.