Fears grow in Cuba for well being of jailed pro-life dissident

Havana, Cuba, Mar 2, 2007 / 11:31 am

Elsa Morejon, the wife of prominent pro-life activist and political prisoner Oscar Elias Biscet, has issued an urgent appeal for medical treatment for her husband and for his transferal out of the harsh conditions of the prison cell where has been held for refusing to collaborate with the Castro regime and renounce his principles.

LiberPress published the open letter from Morejon, in which she describes the grave prison conditions Biscet must endure as part of a 25-year sentence for his non-violent struggle for civil rights and for his opposition to abortion and the death penalty, which are both legal in Cuba.

Amnesty International has classified Biscet as a prisoner of conscience since 1999.  He was released after three years in prison, but he was arrested again one month later while he was preparing to meet with human rights activist in the city of Matanzas.

In 2003 Biscet was condemned to 25 years in prison for his efforts to achieve freedom, democracy and respect for civil rights.

Elsa Morejon revealed that her husband is subject to harsh prison conditions and is allowed family visits once every three months and spousal visits once every four months.  In addition he is being held in a cell with no bed, lights, ventilation or chair and he is “taken out for fresh air” once a month.  She said he depends greatly on the antibiotics and medicines that his family members are able to bring to him during their periodic visits.

In her letter Elsa Morejon cites several paragraphs from a letter she received from her husband:  “Carrying out a sentence is very difficult for prisoners, but more so for a man of peace who was imprisoned for exercising his freedom of thought.”

“During these years here in prison,” the letter continued, “I have seen shameful things that I am unable to describe to you in words because of their perversity and their attack on the good mores of a civilized society.  Despite this difficult situation I am not intimidated nor do I take any step backwards in my mind…I will carry out this unjust sentence until the most high God puts an end to it.”