Today’s violent break up of a peaceful sit-in by Cuba’s "Ladies in White" demonstrates that the Cuban regime will continue to use all means necessary to quell any show of peaceful, public dissent. Ten members of the "Ladies in White" presented a letter to the Interior Minister, Abelardo Colome, along with a copy for Raul Castro in which they demanded "the immediate unconditional release of the remaining 55 prisoners of conscience who were arrested in the March 2003 crackdown." After the letter was given to authorities, the "Ladies in White" held a peaceful sit-in at the Plaza de la Revolución.

According to statements made from Havana by Berta Soler, wife of prisoner of conscience Angel Moya, more than one hundred State Security police, the majority of which were female officers, arrived at the park at approximately 9:15am and began to forcefully remove the women, dragging and pushing them and hurling insults. The crackdown was ordered by a Colonel Samper of Cuba’s Political Police.

The peaceful activists were dragged on the concrete and forcibly placed on a bus. Minutes prior to her forced removal, Berta Soler had told news agency EFE that their intention was to "remain in the park as long as it was necessary in order to obtain the release of our political prisoners."

The Foundation for Human Rights in Cuba condemns the violent action against these peaceful women, which once again demonstrate the regime’s unwillingness to undertake any significant reform that would lead to real change. These acts simply go to show that while there are still prisoners of conscience in Cuba and the Cuban people are unable to freely express their opinions and determine their own destinies, it is not possible to speak of real change on the Island.

REPRESSION IN CUBA MOUNTS :

LADIES IN WHITE

PEACEFUL SIT-IN VIOLENTLY BROKEN UP

Havana, April 21, 2008.