AAAS Scientific Responsibility, Human Rights and Law Program

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AAAS Human Rights Action Network

FACTS OF THE CASE:

On Saturday, 14 August 1999, Dr. Oscar Elias Biscet, a Cuban physician and anti-abortion activist, was detained in the town of Pedro Betancourt while visiting dissidents who took part in a recent fast in support of political prisoners. He was held at a provincial station in the old town of Jorellanos where he was reportedly beaten and burned with cigarettes.

Head of the Lawton Foundation for Human Rights, Dr. Biscet was among more than 20 Cuban dissidents temporarily detained by security forces in early August for their involvement in opposition activities. He was released on 16 August. Dr. Biscet reported being beaten about the face and shoulders, kicked in the ankles, burnt with a cigarette on his elbow, forced to strip naked and threatened with longer detentions if he continued his involvement with opposition activities.

The arrests of Dr. Biscet and his colleagues constitute serious violations of international human rights standards enumerated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which was adopted without opposition by the United Nations General Assembly on 10 December 1948. They include:

• Everyone has the right to life, liberty, and security of person (Article 3);
• no one shall be subjected to torture, or to cruel inhuman degrading treatment or punishment (Article 5);
• no one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest, detention or exile (Article 9); and
• everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression (Article 19).

(Sources of information for this update include Cuba Press. Sources of information for previous alerts include the Lawton Foundation for Human Rights and The Miami Herald.)

RECOMMENDED ACTION:

Please send telexes, telegrams, faxes, or airmail letters:

• urging the Cuban government to respect the rights to freedom of expression and opinion.

APPEAL AND INQUIRY MESSAGES SHOULD BE SENT TO:

Dr. Juan Escalona Reguera
Fiscal General de la Republica
San Rafael 3
La Habana, Cuba
Fax: 011 53 7 333 164
Sr. Jefe del Centro de Investigaciones del Departamento de
Seguridad del Estado (DSE)
Versalles
Santiago de Cuba
Prov. Oriente, Cuba

COPIES SENT TO:

Felipe Perez Roque
Ministro de Relaciones Exteriores
Calzada No. 360
Vedado
La Habana, Cuba
Fax: 011 53 7 333 085 or 335 261

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