A group of exiled Cuban dissidents, on a visit to the Vatican, has urged Pope John Paul to press for the release of political prisoners when he goes to Cuba next week.

The group of fifteen former political prisoners also appealed to the Pope to ask President Castro to respect human rights.

The dissidents included two of Mr Castro's former comrades, Mario Chanes de Armas and Ricardo Bofill, who were imprisoned for opposing the Cuban leader.

A BBC correspondent in Rome says the Pope knows about the human-rights situation in Cuba and will raise the issues of religious and political freedom during his visit.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service