P.E.N. C L U B I T A L I A

P.E.N. Club Italiano

WiPC - (Writers in Prison Committee)

Centro Italiano
Via Daverio, 7 - 20122 Milano (Italia)

L'attivita' del Centro
Italiano WiPC

I NOSTI APPELLI

CUBA

His Excellency
Fidel Castro Ruz
President of Cuba

Milan, 15th April 2003

International P.E.N., the world association of writers with over 80 years experience of campaigning against the suppression of freedom of expression, condemns the arrest and detention of writers and independent journalists on 3 and 4 April 2003.

According to information received, writer/economist Marta Beatriz Roque, writer/journalist Raúl Rivero and 25 independent journalists were handed down sentences of between 14 and 27 years. The writers and journalists were arrested as part of a crackdown on alleged dissidents that began on 18 March and in which around 80 people were detained. The prison terms given to the writers and journalists are as follows:

Marta Beatriz Roque (20 years), Raúl Rivero (20 years), Ricardo González Alfonso (20 years), Víctor Rolando Arroyo (26 years), Normando Hernández González (25 years), Oscar Espinoza Chepe (20 years), Julio César Gálvez (15 years), Edel José García (15 years), Adolfo Fernández Saínz (15 years), Jorge Olivera Castillo (18 years), Omar Rodríguez Saludes (27 years), Manuel Vázquez Portal (18 years), Héctor Maseda Gutiérrez (20 years), Mijaíl Barzaga Lugo (15 years), Carmelo Díaz Fernández (15 years), Pedro Argüelles Morán (20 years), Pablo Pacheco Ávila (20 years), Alejandro González Raga (14 years), Alfredo Pulido López (14 years), Mario Enrique Mayo (20 years), Fabio Prieto Llorente (20 years), Iván Hernández Carrillo (25 years), José Luis García Paneque (24 years), and Juan Carlos Herrera (20 years).

The journalists Miguel Galván Gutiérrez, José Ubaldo Izquierdo, Léster Luis González Pentón, Omar Ruiz Hernández and José Gabriel Ramón Castillo are also believed to have been sentenced, presumably to terms similar to those already announced.

International PEN cannot express strongly enough its dismay and alarm at the trials, which are in blatant contradiction of international instruments that protect the right to freedom of expression and fair trial. International PEN calls on the Cuban authorities to recognise this as a serious breach of human rights, order the dropping of charges, release of all those who have been convicted.

Emanuele Bettini
-Secretary General Italian P.E.N. Club

Anna Antolisei - Adviser "Writers in Prison Committee" Italian P.E.N. Club

CUBA

His Excellency
Fidel Castro Ruz
President of Cuba

Milan, 31th March 2003

Your Excellency,
International P.E.N., the world association of writers with over 80 years experience of campaigning against the suppression of freedom of expression, condemns the arrest and detention of at least twelve independent journalists in Havana, Cuba.

According to information received, the journalists were accused of subversion and conspiracy with American diplomats and arrested on 18 March 2003 in the biggest crackdown on Cuban dissidents in recent years.
Among those detained was Ricardo González, editor of the De Cuba magazine, which had been distributed around the country since last December.González leads the Manuel Márquez Sterling Society, an independent journalists' group that has attempted to conduct reporting and editing classes.

Also arrested were: José Luis García Paneque, head of the Libertad agency based in Las Tunas (east of Havana); Omar Rodríguez Saludes and Luis Cino, head and reporter of the Nueva Prensa agency (Havana); Jorge Olivera, head of the Havana Press agency (Havana); Pedro Argüelles Morán, head of the Cooperativa Avileña de Periodistas Independientes agency (Ciego de Avila); Alida Viso Bello, of the Cuba Press agency (Havana); Claudia Márquez, of the Grupo de Trabajo Decoro agency (Havana); Iván Hernández Carrillo, correspondent of the Pátria agency in Colón (Matanzas); Miguel Galván, of Havana Press ; Edel José García, a freelance journalist; and Víctor Rolando Arroyo Carmona, of the UPECI agency (Pinar del Rio).

International PEN believes the detention of Ricardo González and the other aforementioned independent journalists constitutes a clear violation of their universally guaranteed right to freedom of expression and, calls upon the Cuban authorities to release them immediately and unconditionally.

Emanuele Bettini - Secretary General Italian P.E.N. Club

Anna Antolisei - Adviser Writers in Prison Committee Italian P.E.N. Club

VIETNAM

His Excellency Nong Duc Manh
Secretary General of the Communist Party of Vietnam
Hanoi
Socialist Republic of Vietnam

Your Excellency,
International P.E.N., the world association of writers with over 80 years experience of campaigning against the suppression of freedom of expression, is deeply concerned about the imprisonment of ours colleagues:

Nguyen Dinh Huy, Le Chi Quang, Le Dinh Nhan (Thich Huyen Quang), Nguyen Van Ly, Nguyen Vu Binh, Pham Hong Son, Bui Minh Quoc, Dang Phuc Tue (Thich Quang Do), Tran Van Khue and Nguyen Xuan Tu (Ha Si Phu).

International P.E.N. considers the detention of these writers a direct violation of Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, as well as Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights, both of which guarantee the right to freedom of expression.

We call their immediate and unconditional release.
We thank you for your attention and welcome your comments.

Yours sincerely

Emanuele Bettini - Secretary General Italian P.E.N. Club

Anna Antolisei - Advisor Writers in Prison Committee Italian P.E.N. Club

CINA

His Excellency
Jiang Zemin
People's Republic of China

Milan, 26th February 2003

Your Excellency,
International P.E.N., the world association of writers with over 80 years experience of campaigning against the suppression of freedom of expression, is deeply concerned about the imprisonment of Tao Haidong, (sentenced to seven years' imprisonment).
PEN considers Tao Haidong to be detained primarily for his criticism of the Chinese authorities in violation of Article 19 of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Tao Haidong was reportedly arrested at his home in Urumqi, Xinjiang on 9 July 2002 while in the process of posting articles on the internet. His trial began on 8 January 2003, and was conducted in secret at the Urumqi People's Court. He was found guilty of having posted material on the internet that allegedly incited people to subvert the government, and was sentenced to seven years' imprisonment.

His sentencing was disclosed by the Official People's Court Daily on 16 February 2003, but the date of the court's decision is unknown. According to articles in the Urumqi local press Tao Haidong was arrested on suspicion of espionage after having posted articles on both Chinese and overseas websites predicting the collapse of China's economy and criticising China's leaders.

Tao Haidong previously completed eighteen months of 'Reform through Labour' for editing a book entitled 'Imagining a New Human Race.' He was released in January 2001 and subsequently became active on the internet, often without using a pseudonym.

International PEN is extremely concerned at the recent crackdown on dissenting voices in China as illustrated by the case of Tao Haidong and those of the internet writers Guo Qinghai, Huang Qi, Liu Weifang, Qi Yanchen, Chen Shaowen, Liao Yiwu, Liu Di and Ouyang Yi. It reminds the Chinese government of the freedom of expression guarantees provided by the United Nations Declaration on Human Rights and calls for the release of all writers held solely for the exercise of this right.
We thank you for your attention and welcome your comments. Your sincerely,

Emanuele Bettini - Secretary General Italian P.E.N. Club

Anna Antolisei - Adviser Writers in Prison Committee Italian P.E.N. Club

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