Our campaign, #OZT I Accuse the Cuban government welcomes with satisfaction the recent statements by Ricardo Alarcón, president of Cuba’s National Assembly of the People’s Power [“parliament”], reaffirming the Cuban government’s intention to release all political prisoners beyond the 52 announced on 7 July. It is our understanding that this is the first time that a high ranking member of the Cuban government makes statements of this nature publicly.

We are pleased to hear that those who do not wish to leave Cuba will have the opportunity to return to their homes. The current “releases to Spain”, regardless of how they are officially called, are nothing but banishment. A release without forced exile of all political prisoners, more than its mere announcement, could be considered as a genuine step forward in the improvement of the human rights situation in Cuba.

We want to make absolutely clear that our demand for the freedom of the political prisoners does not include those who are responsible for deaths or other acts of terrorism. We neither support nor promote such acts, but it is convenient to remember that they are exactly the same as those used by the Cuban revolutionaries leading up to the triumph of the revolution in 1959 and later used to export and spread the influence of their revolution within and outside of Cuba. It would be productive to consider amnesty for them within a wider reconciliation process. However, our main demand involves those imprisoned for exercising their legitimate and inalienable human rights, charged with trumped up charges and sentenced in manipulated trials designed precisely to hide the real reason for which they were being repressed.

We urge the Cuban government to comply with its promise as soon as possible. Nothing, except its own will, prevents the regime from freeing these unjustly incarcerated persons.