The rise in Political Prisoners in Iran has been mirrored by many in Cuba. For example nay of us continue to work for the release of Oscar Elías Biscet.

Oscar Elías Biscet-Gonzalez (born July 20, 1961) in Havana, Cuba he is a prominent Christian activist currently living in Cuba. He is the founder of the Lawton Foundation, an illegal group in Cuba whose stated objective is to promote human rights.

Biscet received a degree in internal medicine in 1985, the following year in 1986 he protested long hours without wage which led to his immediate suspension. Starting in 1988, Biscet revealed his political tension with the communist regime through speech. The Cuban government in 1994 officially opened a case file on Biscet, labeling him a counter-revolutionary and "dangerous". In 1997, Biscet founded the Lawton Foundation.


[edit] Political and philosophical background
Thoreau, Mahndas Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr, are three major influences in Biscet's writing and motivation[citation needed], others mentioned by Biscet include Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson, Jose Marti, and Frederick Douglass. He is a strong believer in a democratic government[citation needed] and has advocated pro-life politics.


[edit] 1998
Dr. Biscet was expelled from the Cuban National Health System in February 1998 because of his activism. Biscet's wife, Elsa Morejón was also expelled from nursing (her profession) because of her husband's activities; she now depends on charity and her family for survival.


[edit] 1999 arrest
In August 1999, Biscet, along with two dozen other dissidents, was detained by Cuban police for organizing meetings in Havana and Matanzas. Police seized him in Pedro Betancourt and took him to Jovellanos for questioning. He claimed that while in custody, the police tortured him by beating, kicking, stripping, and burning him. The government then threatened to detain him longer if he continued promoting his version of pro-democratic activities in Cuba. He was released on August 17, 1999.


[edit] 2003 arrest
Biscet was arrested in a private house with 16 other dissidents while discussing a petition drive and human rights. Dr. Biscet's wife later said, the activists "were beaten and violently arrested", they were removed from the house shouting "Long live human rights" and "Freedom for political prisoners".

Biscet was one of the 75 dissidents imprisoned in 2003 by the Cuban authorities for his association with the head of the US Interests Section in Havana, James Cason. He was given a 25 year sentence for "disorderly conduct" and "counter-revolutionary activities", he is currently being held at Combinado del Este Prison in Havana, Cuba.


A Replica of the prison cell of Dr. Oscar Elias Biscet




[edit] Campaign to release
Nat Hentoff has been one of the chief advocates for Dr. Biscet in the United States, penning numerous pleas in his syndicated and Village Voice column calling for his release, and highlighting his plight within the Cuban criminal justice system.

U.S. Congressman Lincoln Diaz-Balart visited Ukraine, meeting President Yushchenko said "This Cuban physician was not able to give me his message personally because he is a political prisoner who at this moment suffers in solitary confinement in a cold, damp underground dungeon simply for believing in democracy and human rights. I received his message from his wife, Ms. Elsa Morejón. Dr. Biscet sends you and all of your colleagues of the Orange Revolution, for freedom and democracy in Ukraine, a message of friendship and solidarity. He also expresses his deep gratitude, on behalf of all the political prisoners in Cuba, for your vote and your support at the United Nations Human Rights Commission in Geneva for human rights in Cuba."

When Diaz-Balart turned over this message to Yushchenko a Cuban American human rights group "mothers and woman against repression", gave the president of Ukraine a photograph of Biscet and three other political prisoners. Yuschenko thanked them and replied "I will never forget this message, this gesture of friendship. I will never forget the Cuban political prisoners."

A webpage exists that is dedicated to securing the release of Dr. Biscet from jail and promulgating his ideas. It includes news and columns about Dr Biscet as well as writings released from Dr. Biscet himself while in Jail.

 http://www.free-biscet.org/

Sory MDR, Indymedia doesn't like to know about Cuban Political Prisoners. ANY REFERENCE TO THEM IS QUICKLY HIDDEN BY THE imc ADMINS.

The UK movement to support Cuban political prisoners is slowly growing and details can be found at our website www EDIT

"The UK movement to support Cuban political prisoners is slowly growing and details can be found at our website www EDIT"

Let the reader decide:

1) IMC admins are so stupid that they make it obvious they edit posts.

or

2) The hidden comments are troll droppings - the style is familiar - the "IMC UK Monitoring Team" and "Indymedia GB" had similar false claims of urls. The urls are not there because the groups don't exist.

Frontpage Magazine loves the Biscet. He's an anti abortion Christian. He is celebrated at imaginery protests outside the Cuban Embassy in London every Friday.

So the Cuban Political Prioner Support Group doesn't exist ?

Whar about EDIT

 http://tinyurl.com/2z7hgc

 http://preview.tinyurl.com/2z7hgc

Doubt you mean this uk support group somehow:  http://www.cuba-solidarity.org.uk/cubasi_article.asp?ArticleID=23

It seems that somebody is very keen for the political prisoners in Cuba not to receive any publicity. I wonder why that is ?

IMC does itself no favours with all this editing and hiding. Trying to pretend that Castro doesn't lock up those who oppose him is pathetic. IMC should be committed to working for all those who fight for freedom and democracy not just some of them.

Repression is repression regardless of who does it

Why are prisoners in Iran worthy of support but not those in Cuba ?

The SWP has had a blind spot for years with regard to Cuba but it seems that Indymedia shares that.

Evidence of political oppression in Cuba is well documented and respected organisations like Liberty have produced detailed reports for years.

It's a shame Indymedia doesn't spend the same amount of time commenting about Cubans as it does Jews. I doubt reports about a support organisation for Palestinians held in Israeli jails would be edited and hidden.

I note that these reports were hidden by an IMC moderator which is all the more worrying.

A detailed breakdown of Cuban political repression, torture and imprionment has been prepared by EDIT

" I doubt reports about a support organisation for Palestinians held in Israeli jails would be edited and hidden.

I note that these reports were hidden by an IMC moderator which is all the more worrying."



Let the reader decide:

1) IMC admins are so stupid that they make it obvious they edit posts.

or

2) The hidden comments are troll droppings - the style is familiar - the "IMC UK Monitoring Team" and "Indymedia GB" had similar false claims of urls. The urls are not there because the groups don't exist.

see - if they wanted to edit your posts they could change it completely - so no-one knew it had been changed.

I bet you posted all the comments by MDR/thanks for the thought/C/Viva Cuba !/Ian in Manchester/No fan of Castro and his secret police

You're a shit troll - use your energy to make a better world.

Well if the Indymedia moderators are not editing posts why have all the posts that list the details of the Cuban Political Prisoner support organisations in the UK and Europe been either hidden or edited (Well Duh !)

It's bloody obvious Indymedia edits posts and falling back on the old technique of calling everybody Trolls who posts about something that doesn't fit the Indymeida view of the world is very sad.

Here's a simple challenge. Listed below are five organisations which seek to help those political prisoners in Cuba. None of them are funded by the USA, they are recognised by the UN and Red Cross/Red Crescent if they are still not edited after 24 hours we will know Indymedia isn't trying to stop readers seeing the details won't we ?

EDIT