Castro regime has not released some political prisoners, recently detained others
Daniel Wiser
The Washington Free Beacon
1/5/2014
The status of 53 political prisoners in Cuba remains in limbo despite an agreement with the United States to release them, according to reports.
President Barack Obama announced last month that he was easing travel and commercial restrictions on Cuba to seek a rapprochement with the regime of Raul Castro. The president said his administration would continue to push for the protection of civil and political rights on the island, where Raul and his brother Fidel have imprisoned dissidents for a half-century.
However, at least some of the 53 Cuban political prisoners set to be freed as part of the U.S. deal remain in detention, and it is not clear when they will be released. Dissidents on the island told Reuters at the end of December that they have not been informed about who is on the list, and whether it includes common criminals in addition to political prisoners…
The article continues at The Washington Free Beacon. Also at the site, State Dept. Can’t Explain Why Cuba Isn’t Fulfilling Promises Made in Obama Deal (video)
State Department Spokesperson Jen Psaki repeatedly refused to answer questions this afternoon about the 53 political detainees Cuba promised to release as part of a deal with President Obama to normalize relations with the United States.
When asked about a lack of transparency in the prisoner exchange process, Psaki said, “Well, we know who’s on there. And the Cuban government knows who’s on there.”…
