Police warn former political prisoner

Police warn former political prisoner

HAVANA, Cuba - July 24 (José Antonio Fornaris, Cuba-Verdad /
www.cubanet.org) - Former political prisoner José Manuel Pereira said he
was called in by police and promised he would get four years in prison
if he attempted to leave the country "by irregular means."

Pereira said a State Security officer who calls himself Mario told him
that no one who participated in activities in opposition to the
government would be allowed to leave the country. Then, Pereira said,
the official added: "And if you attempt to leave the country illegally
you'll go to prison for four years."

Pereira said the officer also warned him that he would have to rein in
his wife, Gloria González, who has been participating in activities in
support of the Ladies in White, a group consisting mostly of the wives
and mothers of those sentenced to long prison terms in the Spring of
2003. González herself is pregnant.

Pereira was in prison during most of 2002 and 2003 but was never tried.
He is a member of the Andrei Sacharov Party for Human Rights.

http://www.cubanet.org/CNews/y06/jul06/28e1.htm