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When imprisoned Cuban independent journalist Normando Hernandez Gonzalez was sent to the Carlos J. Finlay Military Hospital in Havana on September 14, 2007, we hoped it was a step towards his release.  Instead, on May 7 he was returned to an isolation cell in the Kilo 7 Prison.  His medical treatment for several diseases has reportedly been stopped and access by his family has been restricted. 

The denial of medical treatment to Hernandez Gonzalez, a member of the Grupo de 75 who has been in prison since 2003, appears to be part of a larger response by the Cuban government to disrupt and discredit the human rights community on the island.  Other human rights defenders such as the Damas de Blanco have been victims of recent smear campaigns.

Demand that the Cuban authorities immediately and unconditionally release Normando Hernandez Gonzalez and provide him with adequate medical treatment as long as he remains in detention.  Cuba must also respect the right of peaceful human rights defenders to express their beliefs and promote universally-recognized rights.

Tell me more

• Read HRF's statement on the fifth anniversary of the crackdown on Cuban human rights defenders