Saturday, August 20, 2011

Cuban Dissidents Denounce Violent Harassment

Cuban Dissidents Denounce Violent Harassment

HAVANA – The Ladies in White, a group founded by relatives of Cuban
political prisoners, said some of its members were subjected to violent
harassment by government supporters in Havana.

Spokeswomen Berta Soler said 49 members of the group set out Thursday
afternoon from the home of Ladies leader Laura Pollan on a silent march
to protest earlier repression of human rights activists in the eastern
city of Santiago de Cuba.

About a block from Pollan's home, the Ladies were confronted by dozens
of supporters of Cuba's Communist government who were determined to
block their path, Soler said.

"They shouted insults at us, such as mercenaries, shameless," she told
Efe by telephone, adding that the mob physically attacked the women and
resorted to violence to force them to return to Pollan's residence.

"This is organized by the government and we hold them responsible for
anything that may happen to us, because we are peaceful women and we
will continue to struggle peacefully, because nobody is going to stop us
from going to church to pray for the freedom of the political
prisoners," Soler said.

The Ladies in White were honored by the European Parliament in 2005 with
the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Conscience.

EFE

http://www.laht.com/article.asp?CategoryId=14510&ArticleId=417929

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