Sunday, June 5, 2011

The dissident Guillermo Farinas on hunger strike again

Cuban dissident Guillermo Farinas told AFP on Friday began a hunger strike to protest against the government of Raul Castro, who considers "responsible" for the death in early May opponent Juan Soto. "I have started a hunger strike at 12:00 pm (1600 GMT) to demand the Government that the perpetrators be tried for the murder of John and stop attacking opponents," said Farina, 49, by telephone from Santa Clara, his hometown, 280 miles east of Havana.

In 2010, the journalist came to fast for 135 days and obtain the release of 52 political prisoners. The dissident says will make the hunger strike until the end and will accept to negotiate "equally" with the government. Fariñas was awarded the European Parliament's 2010 Sakharov Prize for freedom of thought.

Juan Soto, 46 and in frail health, died May 8 at a hospital in Santa Clara, three days after being detained for several hours by police for "disorderly conduct" and released "without any particular type of incident, "according to authorities. According to Cuban dissidents, Soto was allegedly beaten during his detention.

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