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Saturday, April 30, 2011

Cuba releases five dissidents one day after their arrests

Cuba releases five dissidents one day after their arrests
(AFP)

HAVANA — Cuban authorities on Friday released dissident Darsi Ferrer and
four other members of Cuba's opposition movement who had been arrested
the day before while they took part in an anti-government protest,
Ferrer told AFP.

No charges were filed against the five, Ferrer said.

"They freed me at midday. They never even questioned me after the
arrest, which was fairly violent," said Ferrer, 41, a physician who has
been arrested several times before for human rights demonstrations.

Ferrer said the group had been demonstrating for about 25 minutes when
they were set upon and arrested by eight police officers and some 20
members of the state security service.

Three of the other demonstrators arrested with Ferrer were also released
on Friday. Ferrer's wife, Yusnaimi Jorge, was freed a little after midnight.

"They threatened us and told us they weren't going to allow
demonstrations like this," Jorge said after she was freed.

The five protestors were arrested shortly before noon Thursday while
demonstrating in the middle of Havana for the right of Cubans once again
to travel freely abroad.

A pro-government blog (www.yohandry.com) characterized the demonstration
as a "provocative move" and accused Ferrer of being supported by CIA
officers working out of the US Special Interests Section in Havana.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jt3dZPmN7IiQN5NOp2plboHKQRCg?docId=CNG.613f6ac884f079ed97d36f6c79ef1eb5.611

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