Relatives of jailed dissident rapper call on artists and activists to demand his freedom (Video)

Relatives of jailed dissident rapper call on artists and activists to
demand his freedom (Video)
Posted by Pedazos de la Isla on June 25, 2013

Yudisbel Roseyo Mojena, wife of dissident rapper and political prisoner
Angel Yunier Remon Arzuaga "El Critico", has been passing through some
very difficult moments during these three months in which her husband
has been behind bars. She has had to raise their newborn child (only 4
months old) on her own, while she has had to go through countless
difficulties to try and visit Remon Arzuaga in Las Mangas Prison of Bayamo.

The musician was violently arrested by the political police on the 26th
of March because he handed out pro-freedom pamphlets, painted
anti-regime messages outside his home and carried out a public discourse
in favor of human rights. Friends have also assured that Remon's protest
music within the hip-hop duo Los Hijos Que Nadie Quiso (The Unwanted
Children) is another of the reasons why he has been taken to prison,
considering that his music has attracted much attention from locals,
especially the youth.

Inside of Las Mangas Prison, El Critico has been confronting numerous
complications.

"Right now, Angel Yunier is not receiving medical attention although he
suffers from an ulcer and chronic gastritis", explains Yudisbel to this
blog, "his jailers are also refusing to grant him minutes of phone
access which he is supposed to receive".

In addition, the young mother denounces that when she travels to the
prison to visit her husband, "State Security always forms a problem.
Each time I visit him it's a different scenario. Sometimes they say they
can't bring him out at that moment, other times they tell me I have to
leave first, etc".

Another tactic of the authorities is to try and blackmail and involve
the rapper into committing a common crime, a practice often employed by
regime authorities against prisoners of conscience. He has been
completely resisting these pressures.

"Jailers are trying to find him a problem with a common prisoner to
accuse him of a common crime considering that they have nothing else to
accuse him of. The accusation for which he is in prison is for 'attempt'
but there is absolutely no proof. In reality, State Security attempted
against his life in March", said Yudisbel. Police forces raided Remon
Arzuaga's home and beat him and other relatives, among them his aunt
Jaqueline Garcia, a member of the Ladies in White.

The main aggressor that day was the State Security Chief known as Julio
Cesar, the same person who is now trying to involve Angel Yunier in a
common crime. This agent has taken up the task of personally
persecutting the activist as well as other members of the opposition in
Bayamo.

Yudisbel explains that Julio Cesar also participated in a beating
against her during an act of repudiation when she was 8 months pregnant,
causing her injuries and leading to a sharp rise in her blood pressure,
producing health complications. She feared that her pregnancy would be
interrupted and aborted.

"Julio Cesar physically assaulted me in an attempt to take my cell
phone. He hurt me on my stomach and I had to rush to the hospital, where
they refused to give me a medical certificate. I almost lost my
pregnancy and I was hospitalized, needing a blood transfusion", she said.

Fortunately, Yudisbel was able to give birth without furhter
complications, but now her husband has not been able to spend time with
their young son.

Yudisbel is calling on all Cubans in and out of the island to demand
freedom for her husband. She has especially called on independent
musicans and the community of exiled artists.

"I would like to ask everyone, especially the artists, to please raise
your voices to achieve the liberation of Yunier as well as the rest of
the political prisoner unjustly behind bars. That kind of support would
be an enormous help", she declared.

The Patriotic Union of Cuba (UNPACU), a dissident organization which
Angel Yunier also belongs to, has published a series of videos on their
YouTube channel which demonstrate the musician's wife as well as other
relatives and friends demanding his release.

This is an edited version (with English subtitles) of some of these
videos, where relatives and friends show their solidarity with Angel
Yunier Remon Arzuaga, "El Critico":
http://youtu.be/evz2iyNujho

Source: "Relatives of jailed dissident rapper call on artists and
activists to demand his freedom (Video) | Pedazos de la Isla" -
http://pedazosdelaislaen.wordpress.com/2013/06/25/relatives-of-jailed-dissident-rapper-call-on-artists-activists-to-demand-his-freedom-video/