August 25, 1997

Jailed wife of Leonel Morejon Almagro

HAVANA, August 22, 1997. Independent attorney Zohiris Aguilar Calleja, President of the Popular Democratic Alliance and member of the emerging Cuban Council Secretariat, has been under arrest since last Tuesday, August 19th at police headquarters located at 100 and Aldabo in Havana.

The wife of the national delegate to the Cuban Council (Concilio Cubano) Leonel Morejon Almagro was also arrested at her home, along with her associate, Mrs. Nery Corostiza Campoalegre, who was later released.

Independent attorney Morejon Almagro also declared that he is being pressured, through actions such as the arrest of his wife, for him and his family to leave the country. According to him, State Security informed him that independent attorney Aguilar Calleja could be prosecuted for connections to terrorist attacks.

State Security has also charged the opposition activist with the sale of alleged endorsements for obtaining a political asylum visa, added her husband.

"No one who knows her can believe that. No one in the world is going to believe that Zohiris Aguilar Calleja could have placed or helped place a bomb, because that would be the same as finding a petard in the hands of Mahatma Gandhi, or an automatic rifle in the home of Vaclav Havel,", added Morejon Almagro.

Sources of the opposition are constantly saying that the intention of the Cuban political police is to link peaceful opposition leaders to terrorism in order to discredit them.

Translated from the original Spanish-language version by Elena Treto.

Distributed by Cubanet