REPRESENTATIVE ON HUMAN RIGHTS IN CUBA ASKS FOR PRESIDENTIAL PARDONS FOR 50 CUBAN PRISONERS

Geneva, 27 June 2003



The Personal Representative of the High Commissioner for Human Rights assigned to monitor the human rights situation in Cuba, Christine Chanet, issued an appeal Thursday to the President of Cuba to exercise his right of pardon on behalf of 50 Cuban citizens sentenced to heavy prison terms in verdicts confirmed by the Supreme Court of Cuba in application of article 91 of the Cuban Penal Code and of Cuban Law Number 88.
In April, a number of persons were arrested and sentenced to long prison terms on charges that they were working in concert with a foreign power to overthrow the Cuban Government. Last week, the Cuban Supreme Court confirmed the sentences for 50 of those persons.
Ms. Chanet was named Personal Representative of the High Commissioner on 27 January. Her appointment occurred in the course of the implementation of resolution 2002/18, adopted on 17 April 2002 by the Commission on Human Rights.



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