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Tuesday, December 14, 2010

EU decries no-show of Farinas for rights prize

EU decries no-show of Farinas for rights prize
The Associated Press

BRUSSELS -- The European Union parliament has criticized Cuba for not
allowing a dissident protester to travel to collect its biggest human
rights award.

EU Parliament President Jerzy Buzek said Tuesday that Guillermo Farinas,
whose 134-day hunger strike helped draw attention to the plight of Cuban
political dissidents, would be represented by an empty chair at the
midweek ceremony to award the Sakharov Prize for the Freedom of Thought.

Joseph Daul, a member of the European parliament from France, says his
absence "means that nothing has changed in Cuba."

Previous winners of the prize include Aung San Suu Kyi and Nelson
Mandela. It was awarded twice before to Cubans: in 2002 to pro-democracy
activist Oswaldo Paya and in 2005 to a dissident group, Ladies in White.

http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/12/14/1972586/eu-decries-no-show-of-farinas.html

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