Cuban human rights activist/lawyer/journalist Juan Carlos González Leiva warned this week that as many as 10 Cuban political prisoners may be permanently incapacitated by their poor health if they are not soon released from the Cuban gulag.

In an interview with Radio Martí [in Spanish], González, himself a former political prisoner, highlighted the cases of four of those prisoners:

•Ariel Sigler Amaya, who has been left paralyzed and confined to a wheelchair.
•Antonio Villareal Acosta, who suffers from psychiatric disorders caused by his confinement.
•Normando Hernández González, who suffers from severe intestinal problems.
•Pedro Argüelles Morán, who is practically blind.

Despite the anticipation of possible prisoner transfers under an arrangement reached between the Castro dictatorship and the Catholic Church, González said he has yet to detect "a change in the spirit of the government."

UPDATED, May 28, 2010 — A report at Diario De Cuba includes the names of additional prisoners who are considered critically ill. They are:

•Juan Carlos Herrera Acosta, who suffers various cardiac, respiratory, intestinal and other ailments.

•Dr. José Luís García Paneque, who suffers from spinal, kidney and respiratory ailments.

•Librado Linares García, who is partially blind and suffers from digestive and respiratory problems.

•Blas Giraldo Reyes Rodríguez, who suffers from kidney, circulatory, prostate and intestinal ailments.

•Próspero Gainza Agüero, who is nearly blind and suffers from intestinal and kidney problems.

•Fabio Prieto Llorente, who is hypertensive and suffers from allergies and digestive and respiratory problems.

We call on the international community to join their voices to ours demanding the immediate unconditional release of these, and all Cuban political prisoners.