HAVANA(CNA): Elsa Morejon, the wife of prominent pro-life activist and political prisoner Oscar Elias Biscet, has issued an urgent appeal for medical treatment for her husband and for his transferal out of the harsh conditions of the prison cell where has been held for refusing to collaborate with the Castro regime and renounce his principles.
LiberPress published the open letter from Morejon, in which she describes the grave prison conditions Biscet must endure as part of a 25-year sentence for his non-violent struggle for civil rights and for his opposition to abortion and the death penalty, which are both legal in Cuba.
Amnesty International has classified Biscet as a prisoner of conscience since 1999. He was released after three years in prison, but he was arrested again one month later while he was preparing to meet with human rights activist in the city of Matanzas.
In 2003 Biscet was condemned to 25 years in prison for his efforts to achieve freedom, democracy and respect for civil rights.
Elsa Morejon revealed that her husband is subject to harsh prison conditions and is allowed family visits once every three months and spousal visits once every four months. In addition he is being held in a cell with no bed, lights, ventilation or chair and he is “taken out for fresh air” once a month. She said he depends greatly on the antibiotics and medicines that his family members are able to bring to him during their periodic visits.
In her letter Elsa Morejon cites several paragraphs from a letter she received from her husband: “Carrying out a sentence is very difficult for prisoners, but more so for a man of peace who was imprisoned for exercising his freedom of thought.”
source.
The only publication that I found carrying this story was a Catholic publication from India.
I did a bit of research on Oscar Elias Biscet. From what I gather, he is one of the big leaders of the movement for freedom and democracy in Cuba. He seems to have quite the following, and there is even a blog dedicated to his release. Here's The website.
This blogger says that the story about Dr. Biscet has been buried by the MSM..
I will keep abreast of this story. This is what blogging is about: chasing the stories the MSM won't cover, and bringing it to their attention.
When I consider how pro-lifers in Canada have so little to suffer compared to what human rights activists in other parts of the world undergo, it's a shame that there aren't more of us on the front lines. We're too complacent and comfortable.
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