Laura Pollán, the founder and speaker of the "Ladies in White" died at the age of only 63. Berta Soler and Héctor Maseda, the husband of the deceased, led the funeral procession on Sunday in honor of Laura Pollan.

Frankfurt am Main/ La Habana (17th of October 2011) - As the International Society for Human Rights (ISHR) already reported, the founder and speaker of the "Ladies in White" died at the age of only 63 years last Friday, the 15th of October, in the Calixto Garcia Hospital in Havana. Despite of the loss of Laura Polláns, the "Ladies in White" again marched this Sunday at the Avenida Cinco to the mass in the church Santa Rita. But on this Sunday around 100 supporters, among them also 40 men, met in order to remember Laura Pollán.

On the Sunday after the death of the founder and shining light of the "Ladies in White" Berta Soler led the ritual, which the civil rights movement is doing since eight years, in order to protest against the injustice of the government and for the release of their relatives. This time, there were not only few protesters, but 100, among them 40 men. Besides Berta Soler the demonstration was also led by the husband of the deceased Héctor Maseda."The message of the Ladies in White to the government is that we will continue. The government should know that we are strong and that we will continue this peaceful struggle for the freedom of the political prisoners and for human rights. The fight began in 2003 and continues, even without our Laura", said Berta Soler to journalists. Laura Polláns last wish was to be cremated. The "Ladies in White", former political prisoners and other dissidents met on this Sunday in the house of the family of Laura Pollán, which is in the district Centro Habana, and took part in a symbolic funeral service, which had already started on Saturday. Also the mass, which took place on Sunday in the church Santa Rita, was all about Laura Pollán, the struggler for justice and freedom. She is the founder of the only group, whose protests the Cuban government "allows" in a certain way.

But the circumstances that led to the death of the civil rights activist, are still unkown. As the ISHR already reported, her husband Héctor Maseda expressed the suspicion that he monitored dubious incidents on his wife. He also said that if something bad will happen to his wife, the Cuban authorities and the political police are the committers. Directorio Democrático Cubano, a dissident movement in exile, demands an examination of the cause of death of Laura Pollán by international and independent physicians. Laura Pollán suffered from a pneumonia, high blood pressure and diabetes. According to Cuban physicians she also got dengue and a nephritic infection as a cause of the respiratory problem in the hospital. The combination of all these illnesses, that all are not said to be fatal, should have led to death.

ISHR deeply regrets the loss of Laura Pollán and expresses it´s condolences to her family and friends like the Cuban Catholic Church, the Cuban opposition and the governments of Spain, France and the United States did. She was the speaker of the Cuban population and she demanded on their behalf freedom for all Cubans. She was a strong and remarkable woman who sacrificed her life for the struggle against the Castro regime and she leaves a civil rights movement behind that will continue to fight for the freedom and justice of all Cubans. Thank you, Laura Pollán.

More informationen about the human rights situation in the republic of Cuba:
http://www.igfm.de/Kuba.456.0.html

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