AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
URGENT ACTION APPEAL

UA 159/97 Fear for Safety 2 June 1997

CUBA Joaquin TORRES ALVAREZ, aged 44, journalist

Amnesty International is concerned for the safety of Joaquin Torres Alvárez, director of the independent news agency, Habana Press, following reports that he was assaulted by individuals believed to be working for the Department of State Security.

According to reports, on 31 May 1997 Joaquin Torres was standing at the door of his home in Havana with Jose Orlando González Bridon, president of the Confederacion de Trabajadores Democráticos de Cuba, Democratic Workers' Union, an unofficial trade union, when he was assaulted by at least four people whom he recognized as being local Communist Party members or State Security officials. The assailants punched him repeatedly and verbally abused him before neighbours were able to intervene and help him to take refuge in his house. Joaquin Torres afterwards made a formal complaint to the police concerning the attack. He also obtained a medical certificate indicating that he had received bruises and scratches to several parts of his body.

Joaquin Torres was reportedly arrested on six occasions during 1996 in connection with his journalistic activities. In February 1997 he was warned by State Security that he would be imprisoned if he did not cease his activities or leave the country. His predecessor at Habana Press and the agency's founder, Rafael Solano, was forced into exile in 1996 after being threatened with imprisonment.

Although threats of violence have been made to dissidents, including journalists, on several occasions, few such threats have been carried out so far. Amnesty International is therefore concerned about this ttack on Joaquin Torres and believes that it is a further attempt to force him to cease his activities or to force him into exile. On 14 January 1997 Nicolás Rosario Rosabal, a journalist

working for the Asociacion de Periodistas Independientes de Cuba (APIC), Cuban Association of Independent Journalists, was reportedly assaulted at a bus station by two individuals believed to be working for State Security. In February 1997, several journalists working for independent organizations were subjected to "actos de repudio", "acts of repudiation" - these are meetings or demonstrations organized by government officials or mass organizations supporting the government at which the person or persons concerned are subjected to criticism and abuse, sometimes physical, because of their so-called "counter-revolutionary" views or activities.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

All media in Cuba are state-controlled and freedom of expression, association and assembly are severely limited. Over the past few years, a number of non- governmental organizations, involving political and human rights activists, independent journalists and trade unionists, economists, lawyers and others, have been formed. However, none has been granted official permission to operate even when they have made the appropriate application to the Ministry of Justice for recognition (their requests usually go unanswered).

In 1995 the Cuban Government began a major crackdown on dissidents, following the formation of Concilio Cubano, Cuban Concilium, a coalition made up of over 100 unofficial groups, including human rights groups, independent professional associations and political parties. Since then members of Concilio Cubano and journalists working for independent organization have been subjected to persistent harassment and frequent short-term detention. They have also been threatened with long-term imprisonment and occasionally physical violence if they do not cease their activities or leave the country. A few have been brought to trial and imprisoned as prisoners of conscience.

RECOMMENDED ACTION: Please send telegrams/telexes/faxes/express/airmail letters:

expressing concern at reports that journalist Joaquin Torres Alvárez was attacked at his home by persons believed to be acting on the instructions of the Department of State Security; - calling for an immediate and impartial investigation into the incident and for those found responsible to be brought to justice; - urging that steps be taken to guarantee the physical integrity of Joaquin Torres Alvárez; - urging that members of Habana Press and other freelance journalists be permitted to carry out their legitimate peaceful activities without interference from the authorities.

APPEALS TO:

1) Attorney-General:

Dr Juan Escalona Reguera

Fiscal General de la República

Fiscalia General de la República

San Rafael 3

Havana, Cuba

Dear Attorney General:

[Telegrams: Fiscal General, Havana, Cuba]

[Telex: 307 511456 fisge]

2) Minister of Foreign Affairs:

Sr Roberto Robaina Gonzelez

Ministro de Relaciones Exteriores

Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores

Calzada No. 360

Vedado

Havana, Cuba

Dear Minister:

[Telegrams: Ministro Relaciones Exteriores, Havana, Cuba]

[Telex: 307 511122 / 307 511464 / 307 512950]

[Fax: 011 53 7 333085 / 011 53 7 335261]

3) Minister of the Interior:

General Abelardo Colome Ibarra

Ministro de Interior

Ministerio del Interior

Plaza de la Revolucion

Havana, Cuba

Dear Minister:

[Telegrams: Ministro Interior, Havana, Cuba]

4) Department of State Security:

Sr Director

Departamento de Seguridad del Estado

Villa Marista

La Vibora

Havana, Cuba

Dear Sir:

[Telegrams: Director, Villa Marista, Havana, Cuba]

COPIES TO:

Cuban Journalists Union (official body):

Union de Periodistas de Cuba

Calle 23 No. 452

Apartado 6646

Vedado

Havana, Cuba

Editor of Granma (daily newspaper):

Sr Jacinto Granda de Laserna

Granma

Apdo 6260

Havana, Cuba

Cuba has no embassy in the US at present.

to contact its interest in the US, write Cuban Interests Section

Mr. Fernando Remirez de Estenoz

2630 - 16th St. NW

Washington, DC 20009

Please send appeals immediately. Check with the Colorado office between 9:00 am and 6:00 pm, Mountain Time, weekdays only, if sending appeals after July 14, 1997.