La Habana. .- The Cuban Catholic Church today announced the release of seven other prisoners, including Ivan Hernandez, one of the 75 dissidents arrested and sentenced to prison terms in high-called "Black Spring" of March 2003 on charges of being " mercenaries "working for the United States. Hernandez refuses to leave the island once he is released, while the other six prisoners, outside the opposition movement, fled to Spain after his release.
"This added 70 prisoners who have accepted the proposal out of prison and move to Spain," said the spokesman of the Archbishop of Havana, Orlando Marquez said in a statement. The dissident Hernandez, who was serving 25 years in prison, was one of the so-called "independent journalists" who write critical articles against the Cuban government on the Internet and foreign publications, and at the time of his arrest led the Independent Library "Juan Gualberto Gómez ".
After his release announced yet remain in prison six other members of the "Group of 75" reluctant to exile in Spain, all taken as prisoners of conscience by Amnesty International. In addition to Hernandez, the archbishop of Havana, also announced the upcoming release and transfer to Spain of Roger Cardoso, Yoan José Navalon, Yosnel Batista, Juan Antonio Bermúdez, Marco Antonio Zayas and Reinier Concepción, most of whom appear in Political Prisoners list drawn up by the illegal but tolerated Cuban Commission for Human Rights and National Reconciliation (CCDHRN).
Zayas was the one who met the greatest pain, to 30 years in prison after being convicted in July 2003 for "terrorism" in relation to an attempt to leave Cuba illegally in a small fishing boat, according to the CCDHRN. Concepcion was also sentenced also to eight years in prison in December 2004 for the same offense.
For his part, Cardoso met since 2003 a sentence of 20 years in prison for "terrorism", while Bermudez was convicted in November 2007 to four years and six months for 'assault and damage, "according to the list drawn up every six months opposition committee. In an unprecedented dialogue with the local Catholic Church, the government of President Raul Castro pledged in July to release the 52 prisoners of the "Group of 75" that were previously in prison.
Of these, 40 have been in exile in Spain with their families, while the remaining 12 refused to leave the country. The latest releases of the group were a week ago, when three prisoners were freed reluctant exile, including Héctor Maseda and Angel Moya, both "independent journalists" and spouses of the main leaders of the opposition organization "Women in White" Laura Pollan and Berta Soler.
These prisoners left the prison with leave to remain in Cuba based on a "parole" statutory formula equivalent to parole in other countries. In addition to the dissidents of the "Black Spring", the Cuban authorities today agreed to release 30 other prisoners, mainly accused of crimes as "sabotage", "terrorism" or "piracy" in relation to attempted illegal departure the country with theft of boats or other violent acts.
The Cuban government considers "mercenaries" dissident activists because of the millions destined for the United States amounts over decades to support the opposition movement. At the same time denying the existence of political prisoners in its jails and ensures that all have been duly tried and convicted on laws.
According to the CCDHRN, in Cuba there are hundreds of political prisoners, half a year ago. 
"This added 70 prisoners who have accepted the proposal out of prison and move to Spain," said the spokesman of the Archbishop of Havana, Orlando Marquez said in a statement. The dissident Hernandez, who was serving 25 years in prison, was one of the so-called "independent journalists" who write critical articles against the Cuban government on the Internet and foreign publications, and at the time of his arrest led the Independent Library "Juan Gualberto Gómez ".
After his release announced yet remain in prison six other members of the "Group of 75" reluctant to exile in Spain, all taken as prisoners of conscience by Amnesty International. In addition to Hernandez, the archbishop of Havana, also announced the upcoming release and transfer to Spain of Roger Cardoso, Yoan José Navalon, Yosnel Batista, Juan Antonio Bermúdez, Marco Antonio Zayas and Reinier Concepción, most of whom appear in Political Prisoners list drawn up by the illegal but tolerated Cuban Commission for Human Rights and National Reconciliation (CCDHRN).
Zayas was the one who met the greatest pain, to 30 years in prison after being convicted in July 2003 for "terrorism" in relation to an attempt to leave Cuba illegally in a small fishing boat, according to the CCDHRN. Concepcion was also sentenced also to eight years in prison in December 2004 for the same offense.
For his part, Cardoso met since 2003 a sentence of 20 years in prison for "terrorism", while Bermudez was convicted in November 2007 to four years and six months for 'assault and damage, "according to the list drawn up every six months opposition committee. In an unprecedented dialogue with the local Catholic Church, the government of President Raul Castro pledged in July to release the 52 prisoners of the "Group of 75" that were previously in prison.
Of these, 40 have been in exile in Spain with their families, while the remaining 12 refused to leave the country. The latest releases of the group were a week ago, when three prisoners were freed reluctant exile, including Héctor Maseda and Angel Moya, both "independent journalists" and spouses of the main leaders of the opposition organization "Women in White" Laura Pollan and Berta Soler.
These prisoners left the prison with leave to remain in Cuba based on a "parole" statutory formula equivalent to parole in other countries. In addition to the dissidents of the "Black Spring", the Cuban authorities today agreed to release 30 other prisoners, mainly accused of crimes as "sabotage", "terrorism" or "piracy" in relation to attempted illegal departure the country with theft of boats or other violent acts.
The Cuban government considers "mercenaries" dissident activists because of the millions destined for the United States amounts over decades to support the opposition movement. At the same time denying the existence of political prisoners in its jails and ensures that all have been duly tried and convicted on laws.
According to the CCDHRN, in Cuba there are hundreds of political prisoners, half a year ago.
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