20 August 2010

Alert

Two more reporters freed, arrive in Madrid


Incident details

Release

Fabio Prieto Llorente, Journalist
Juan Carlos Herrera Acosta, Journalist

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(CPJ/IFEX) - New York, August 19, 2010 - Formerly imprisoned Cuban journalists Fabio Prieto Llorente and Juan Carlos Herrera Acosta arrived in Spain today, bringing to 13 the number of imprisoned reporters who were freed this year as part of an agreement between the Cuban Catholic Church and the government of President Raúl Castro.

Herrera Acosta, a Guantánamo-based correspondent for the news agency Agencia de Prensa Libre Oriental, arrived in Madrid around noon with his family, according to international press reports. In a telephone interview with CPJ, the journalist said he was happy to reunite with his family, but he expressed concern about his colleagues who are still imprisoned. "I still consider myself in jail because many of my colleagues remain in Cuban prisons," Herrera Acosta said.

Prieto Llorente, a freelance reporter in the western island of Isla de la Juventud in Cuba, landed in Madrid around 3 p.m. with his family, news reports said. "I am extremely grateful to all international organizations, including CPJ, which supported me and my family during my harsh time in captivity," Prieto Llorente told CPJ.

Both Herrera Acosta and Prieto Llorente were jailed during the massive March 2003 government crackdown on political dissent and independent journalism known as the Black Spring. Seven journalists arrested during the 2003 crackdown remain in prison, as does one other journalist who was detained later, CPJ research shows.

"We are relieved that Fabio Prieto Llorente and Juan Carlos Herrera Acosta have reunited with their families after seven year of unjust imprisonment and inhumane treatment," said Carlos Lauría, CPJ's senior program coordinator for the Americas. "Despite the recent releases, independent journalists in Cuba still face systematic harassment in reprisal for their work. We urge Cuban authorities to immediately release all reporters still in jail and guarantee freedom of expression for all Cuban citizens."

After negotiations with Cuba's Catholic Church, Castro agreed in July to free a total of 52 dissidents arrested in the March 2003 crackdown.

Click here to read more about Prieto Llorente and Herrera Acosta from CPJ's 2009 census of jailed journalists



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
 

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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 Twelfth writer released into exile 18 August 2010 Another Cuban journalist freed, flown to Madrid 26 July 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


 
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