On July 22, 2005, Cuban authorities arrested 33 dissidents preparing to attend a demonstration in front of the French Embassy in Havana to demand greater European attention to the plight of political prisoners in Cuba. The clampdown came on the heels of another series of arrests on July 13, in which at least 24 dissidents were rounded up during ceremonies to mark the 11th anniversary of the sinking of a ferryboat carrying Cubans attempting to immigrate illegally to the United States. Of those arrested during this wave, seven remain in detention (one of those arrested, Ricardo Medina Salabarria, was released in October 2006).

The July 2005 arrests were the largest crackdown on political activists since March 2003, when 75 dissidents were rounded up and sentenced to up to 28 years in prison. The Cuban government's actions in 2003 were widely condemned by the international community. Most recently, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights issued an October 21, 2006 decision stating that Cuba's actions in 2003 had violated the American Declaration on the Rights and Duties of Man, and calling for the immediate release of all those who remained imprisoned.

Oscar Mario Gonzalez is among those arrested in July 2005 who still remain in prison. Mr. Gonzalez is an independent journalist of the Grupo de Trabajo Decoro news agency, which frequently reports on the Cuban government's violations of civil and political rights. Mr. Gonzalez himself has denounced the lack of free expression in Cuba and the government's systematic violations of the basic rights of Cubans. On March 24, 2005, prior to his arrest, Mr. Gonzalez was summoned and questioned by state security agents, who threatened that he would not be able to see his family again if he continued practicing as an independent journalist.

Previously, the Cuban authorities had reportedly told Mr. Gonzalez' family that he would be prosecuted under Special Law 88, or the "Law for the Protection of the National Independence and Economy of Cuba." Passed in 1999, but applied for the first time in March 2003, Law 88 establishes stiff penalties for those found guilty of vaguely defined "counterrevolutionary" activities, including actions that are protected in international human rights law. The law restricts basic freedoms of speech, assembly, and association. More recently, Mr. Gonzalez' wife, Mirta Wong, was told that her husband would be charged with "disturbing the peace," but state security agents have insisted they are unaware of the charges against him and cannot locate her husband's "charge sheet." He has been held without charge or trial for almost 16 months.

Since his detention, Mr. Gonzalez has suffered from serious health problems that have been exacerbated by unhygienic prison conditions and medical neglect. Blood appeared in his urine several months ago and repeated doses of antibiotics do not seem to be alleviating the symptoms of the infection. An urologist who finally examined Mr. Gonzalez on October 2, 2006 stated that he required further medical tests, but prison authorities have indicated that the necessary x-ray and other basic equipment are not functioning or available, so the tests cannot be performed.

The authorities' failure to take Mr. Gonzalez to a proper medical facility where necessary tests can be administered is a violation of standards for the medical care of prisoners, such as U.N. Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners, which stipulates that "Sick prisoners who require specialist treatment shall be transferred to specialized institutions or to civil hospitals. Where hospital facilities are provided in an institution, their equipment, furnishings and pharmaceutical supplies shall be proper for the medical care and treatment of sick prisoners" (Section 22(2)). 

In addition, Mr. Gonzalez suffers from a chronic and acute cough that has lasted over six months and for which the prison authorities have denied him access to a respiratory specialist and have refused to perform a chest x-ray. Mr. Gonzalez also suffers from worsening gastritis and hypertension, and the prison apparently lacks the proper medication for these health problems.

Throughout his detention, Mr. Gonzalez has been transferred to various prisons, where he was often held in substandard and difficult conditions. He is currently being held at Prison 1580 ("El Pitirre") in Havana. According to the press freedom organization Reporters Without Borders, Mr. Gonzalez is one of 25 journalists currently imprisoned in Cuba.

More Information:

The 2003 Crackdown in Cuba: http://www.humanrightsfirst.org/defenders/hrd_cuba/hrd_cuba_crackdown.htm