The Subcommittee on Human Rights (DROI) exchange views with former political prisoners from Cuba, in the European Parliament in Brussels.

Brussels

exchange of views

meeting

EU - Cuba (T)

SALAFRANCA SÁNCHEZ-NEYRA, José Ignacio (EPP, ES)

EU - Cuba: extracts from the exchange of views with former political prisoners from Cuba

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Ricardo GONZALES ALFONSO, I was sent to a prison cell where the carpet was covered with excrements of rats, with no ventilation and where the smell was really horrible; I went on a hunger strike to defend the right for freedom of speech. International pressure got me out of this unhuman prison cell, that what neither adapted for humans nor for animals.

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Normado HERNANDEZ, (on having been sentenced to 10 years in prison) So what did I do to deserve this? Simply carrying out journalism in an independent way. The Cuban government provides newspapers for its people and the book I have here in front of me - the famous book of dissidents that the Cuban government put out in 2003 - the idea of this book was to demoralize us, to demoralize the 57 peaceful opponents of the regime that were incarcerated with hard sentences between 25 and 26 years in prison.

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Normado HERNANDEZ, The government for 51 years has been carrying out a policy of state terrorism. It's a totally antidemocratic institution that only represents a small part of society. And it's that part- of the society that is willing to build a socialist republic.

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Jos&#233; Ignacio SALAFRANCA S&#193;NCHEZ-NEYRA (EPP, ES), The position is very clear. The council position on Cuba is still valid. The concrete question I would have is this: Do you think adopting this position from the council will contribute improving the situation of democracy and the respect of human rights in Cuba or do you think modifying the councils statement as its stand will prove to be contrary to the struggle you are trying to wage.

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Ricardo GONZALES ALFONSO, As there is no freedom of expression in my country and nothing has changed I would ask the Subcommittee to keep the position so that the European Union does not change its stands against the Cuban government.

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Normado HERNANDEZ, The European Union needs to keep its common position, that's what we would request. The common position is not against the people of Cuba but against the Fidel Castro regime and so we would ask you to continue analyzing the reality of the Cuban people and so this subcommittee can look into all of the different aspects it deals with ad we would ask anyone producing a report on human rights in Cuba, don't listen to the words produced by the Cuban government look at the facts if you want to judge weather there has been a change in stance or a change in approach wait for concrete facts not just what they are saying.