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The Friends of Cuban Libraries
(http://www.friendsofcubanlibraries.org)
Date: July 31, 2002
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL TAKES ACTION ON JUAN CARLOS GONZALEZ LEIVA
On July 31 the Health Professionals Network of Amnesty International, a
branch of the world's largest and most respected human rights organization,
urged its members to write to Cuban officials to express concern about the
health and legal rights of a blind prisoner, Juan Carlos González Leiva. The
prisoner is a lawyer, activist and volunteer librarian whose brutal arrest
and mistreatment have aroused a worldwide storm of protest on the part of
human rights organizations, librarians, religious activists, and groups for
the blind. Amnesty has taken this action after the Cuban government ignored
an earlier inquiry about the mistreatment of Juan Carlos Gonzalez Leiva.
In addition to being a lawyer, a human rights activist, an advocate for the
blind and a Baptist layperson, Mr. González Leiva is also the director of the
Ignacio Agramonte Independent Library in Ciego de Avila Province. After the
violent arrest of Juan Carlos González Leiva on March 4, 2002, the Agramonte
Library was raided by the Cuban State Security police, who confiscated a
number of books from the library's collection, including some volumes in
Braille. Detailed information about the worldwide furor surrounding this
issue can be found on the Friends of Cuban Libraries website.
The full text of Amnesty International's new appeal, with details as to where
messages to Cuban officials may be sent, can be found in the "Recent News"
section of our website (www.friendsofcubanlibraries.org). Librarians and
human rights activists everywhere are invited to take part in this
humanitarian aaction requested by the world's most respected human rights
organization. As the Cuban government is sensitive to bad publicity, it is
important that as many people as possible express concern to Cuban officials
about the shocking mistreatment of a defenseless blind prisoner.
Sincerely,
The Friends of Cuban Libraries
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