13 dissidents freed without charges in Cuba

Published Friday, September 11, 1998, in the Miami Herald

13 dissidents freed without charges in Cuba

HAVANA -- (AFP) -- Thirteen dissidents detained by authorities this week have been freed without being charged with any crime, but with a warning to stay out of protest demonstrations, a leading dissident said Thursday.

Elizardo Sanchez, head of the Cuban Commission of Human Rights and National Conciliation, said the dissidents were held from 12 to 48 hours and released in the past few days.

Nancy de Varona, Miriam Garcia, Ofelia Nardo and Vicky Ruiz were released Tuesday night, Sanchez said. Others reported freed were Oscar Eliecer Biset, Miriam Cantillo, Lazaro Constantino, Matilde Garcia, Maria de los Angeles Gonzalez, Luis Lopez, Roberto de Miranda, Leonel Morejon Almagro and Rolando Muñoz.

Dissident sources said the detentions appeared to have been linked to a brief anti-government demonstration outside a Havana court where dissident Reynaldo Alfaro was sentenced to prison Aug. 28.

The sources said the detentions also appeared to be related to a religious procession through Havana streets on Tuesday in honor of Cuba's patron saint, Our Lady of Charity.

``They were all freed without being charged, but all said they were questioned only on those two subjects [the protest and the religious procession],'' Sanchez said.