Another Cuban prisoner of conscience faces health crisis

Miami, Fla., Mar 3, 2010 / 18:03 pm

Family members of Cuban political prisoner Ariel Sigler Amaya, who has been hospitalized for the past five months in the country's capital of Havana, are urgently calling for support to “prevent others from dying in Cuba because of the dictatorship.”

Miguel Sigler Amaya, the prisoner's brother revealed that each day, Ariel's health is increasingly deteriorating. Doctors have told family members that he is experiencing severe bleeding, throat and stomach infections, as well as intense headaches and discoloration.

Doctors cannot operate due to his severe state of weakness. The family advised him not to engage in a hunger strike, as he would not be able to endure even one week,” Miguel said.

Miguel Sigler remarked that Cuban security agents were livid with the family over the international coverage of Ariel's condition. “They threatened us saying that if the United States - with all its rockets and missiles - was unable to pressure them, our family could not either.”

Sigler urged “support and solidarity” in order to “prevent others from dying in Cuba because of the dictatorship,” which, he added, “is capable of sacrificing all Cubans in order to stay in power for just one more day.”

“The time has come to urgently call for the arrest of Fidel and Raul Castro,” he said.