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Saturday, April 30, 2011

Well-Known Cuban Dissident Freed After Day in Jail

Well-Known Cuban Dissident Freed After Day in Jail

HAVANA – Leading Cuban dissident Darsi Ferrer was released Friday after
spending about a day in jail for mounting a peaceful protest in this
capital.

Ferrer, wife Yusnaimi Jorge and two colleagues were detained after
standing on a Havana street corner for around 25 minutes with signs
demanding that Cubans be allowed to travel freely both inside and
outside their country, the dissident physician told Efe.

Some people granted visas by foreign nations have been waiting as long
as two years for permission to leave the Communist-ruled island, Ferrer
said.

One such person, he said, is his wife, who wants to travel to the United
States to receive medical treatment for a chronic "cerebrovascular
ailment that has caused hypertension and is a threat to her health."

He said he and the other protesters were arrested by "a score of police
with excessive use of force," taken to separate precincts and held until
around midday Friday, when they were released without charge.

Ferrer, 41, has been complaining for months about Cuban authorities'
refusal to permit him, Jorge and their son to travel to the United States.

Thursday's incident was the fourth time this year Ferrer has been
briefly detained during protests and or while trying to meet with other
government opponents, Ferrer said.

It has been less than a year since Ferrer was from custody after
spending 11 months in jail without charge.

EFE

http://www.laht.com/article.asp?CategoryId=14510&ArticleId=392737

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