On the Fate of Cuban Political Prisoner, Adolfo Fernandez Sainz

April 12, 2006

Adolfo Fernandez Sainz is a Political Prisoner.

Adolfo had been working for the Moscow-based news agency PRIMA as its correspondent in Havana since July 2001. He was arrested on March 20th 2005 as a result of the government's crackdown on Cuban dissidents and independent journalists. A total of 79 people were arrested in the latest wave of repression in March.

At the court hearings on April 3, Adolfo Fernandez was accused of giving interviews to foreign radio stations and posting "subversive" articles on the Internet, and sentenced to 15 years in prison under infamous Law 88, better known as the "gag law".

Adolfo Fernandez's family appealed against the verdict. On June 16, the wife of Adolfo Fernandez was notified by phone of the decision of the court of cassation. Adolfo Fernandez was being held in solitary confinement in the central prison in Holguin province, east of Cuba. He has now been transferred to the notorious Canaleta Prison.

He was last seen by a doctor just under a year ago at which point his health was detoriating fast. It is unknown whether he has received medical treatment since but the few reports from Canaleta suggest medical treatment is scarce.

For ways to help Adolfo please see www.prisonersoverseas.com

Sign the petition at http://www.PetitionOnline.com/PRIMA1/petition.html

The views expressed in this article are those of the author and are not necessarily endorsed by the Church of Scientology International Human Rights Department, which publishes articles in the News Forum to provide a means for organizations to express their views and to advance the cause of human rights around the world.