26 July 2010

Alert

Another Cuban journalist freed, flown to Madrid


Incident details

Release

José Ubaldo Izquierdo Hernández, Journalist

This is available in:

English Español
(CPJ/IFEX) - New York, July 23, 2010 - Reporter José Ubaldo Izquierdo Hernández was released from a Cuban jail and arrived today in Madrid, becoming the 11th independent journalist to be freed by the Havana government this month.

"My colleagues and I warmly hugged each other upon arrival, sharing our happiness for regaining freedom and our sorrow for leaving Cuba," Izquierdo Hernández told CPJ in a telephone interview. "My dream of seeing my country enjoying freedom of expression, as well as other rights, has not yet come true. As a journalist, it's been very painful to experience the lack of that freedom."

Izquierdo Hernández, who was serving a 16-year prison term imposed in 2003, landed with his family around 1:30 p.m. local time on an Iberia flight, the journalist said. He said he will move next week to Chile, where the government offered him political asylum. "I am planning to take up my journalism career once I arrive to my new destination," Izquierdo Hernández said.

After talks with Cuba's Catholic Church, the government of President Raúl Castro agreed this month to free a total of 52 dissidents arrested in the March 2003 government crackdown on political dissent and independent journalism known as the Black Spring. Nine journalists arrested during the 2003 crackdown remain in prison, as does one other who was jailed later, according to CPJ research.

The government has not disclosed its plans to release the other jailed journalists and dissidents.

Source:

Committee to Protect Journalists
330 7th Ave., 11th Floor
New York, NY 10001
USA
info (@) cpj.org
Phone: +1 212 465 1004
Fax: +1 212 465 9568
 

Stay on top of free expression news.

Sign up to receive the weekly IFEX Communiqué.


More on this case

Last of Black Spring journalists freed; one reporter still jailed 9 March 2011 Two journalists still held after "Black Spring" journalist Iván Hernández's release 23 February 2011 Journalist released on parole, allowed to stay in country 15 February 2011 Jailed journalists begin hunger strikes 7 February 2011 Government breaks promise by keeping three "Black Spring" journalists in prison 10 November 2010 Cuba frees another journalist jailed in 2003 crackdown 14 October 2010 Two more writers released, exiled to Spain 29 September 2010 Another "Black Spring" journalist released 10 September 2010 Released journalists interviewed seven years after "Black Spring" 8 September 2010 Another journalist freed, flown to Spain 25 August 2010 Two more reporters freed, arrive in Madrid 20 August 2010 Twelfth writer released into exile 18 August 2010 Tenth freed Cuban reporter lands in Madrid 23 July 2010 Interview with RSF correspondent Ricardo González Alfonso 23 July 2010 Ninth released Cuban journalist arrives in Spain 20 July 2010 IPI's Cuban "Justice Denied" journalist Omar Rodriguez Saludes freed, lands in Madrid 16 July 2010 Six journalists released, 16 to follow 13 July 2010 Church says government will release political prisoners 9 July 2010 RSF correspondent turns 60 in prison 25 February 2010 Mother of jailed Cuban journalist awarded US$27.5 million in compensation for emotional distress 8 September 2009 Health of jailed journalists deteriorates 26 June 2007 CPJ concerned about deteriorating health of two journalists 7 June 2006 RSF denounces confirmation of heavy prison sentences against two arrested journalists 6 June 2003 RSF condemns transfer of journalists to prisons far from their homes 28 April 2003 RSF urges E.U. to freeze Cuba's application for membership in Cotonou Agreement further to sentencing of independent journalists 14 April 2003 CPJ condemns convictions of independent journalists 10 April 2003 Writer Martha Beatriz Roque among those sentenced to lengthy prison terms 10 April 2003 IPI condemns lengthy jail sentences handed down to independent journalists 8 April 2003 CPJ condemns trials of independent journalists 7 April 2003 CPJ condemns latest government crackdown on independent press 3 April 2003 Families allowed to visit imprisoned journalists, EU calls for their immediate release 28 March 2003 IFJ condemns Cuba over arrests and jail threat to independent journalists 26 March 2003 News agency editor and poet Raúl Rivero arrested 24 March 2003 Ten journalists detained 20 March 2003

Cuba

Blogger denied travel to Brazil 9 February 2012 Hablemos Press journalist to be expelled from Havana yet again in new crackdown 11 October 2011 IAPA condemns increased harassment of dissidents 30 September 2011 Authorities refuse to renew Spanish correspondent's work permit 8 September 2011 Six dissidents sentenced in summary trials 3 June 2011 See all alerts: Cuba


 
The International Freedom of Expression eXchange (IFEX) is a global network of 95 organisations working to defend and promote the right to free expression.
Permission is granted for material on this website to be reproduced or republished in whole or in part provided the source member and/or IFEX is cited with a link to the original item.