The blind Cuban human rights activist, Juan Carlos Leyva. Photo: PRIMA News Ageny

Frankfurt/M. (28 August 2002) - The blind civil rights activist Juan Carlos Leyva, who has been detained for 152 days without an official indictment in the detention centre of the state security police in Holguin, is to disappear behind the bars, according to the request of the Prosecutor's Office in Ciego de Avila. The International Society for Human Rights fears that a Stalinist-like show trial is to be staged against Leyva. ISHR believes that, since the blind civil rights activist is the president of the Cuban organisation "Human Rights Foundation of Cuba" (Fundacion Cubana de Derechos Humanos), a public condemnation is to serve as an intimidation for other dissidents.

ISHR reports that Juan Carlos Leyva was arrested on 4 March 2002, together with other civil rights activists, because they had announced their solidarity with the journalist Jesus Alvarez Castillo of the independent press agency Cuba Press. Castillo had been violently attacked by policemen. Already when arrested, the human rights activists were physically attacked by the security police. Leyva, who was lying on the ground, suffered from head injuries caused by the security officer Armaury with the butt of his pistol.

According to information available to ISHR, the prosecutor accuses the blind civil rights activist of "resistance against the government", "disruption of public order", "resistance against the authorities" and "disobedience". Leyva's defence lawyer La Isahim Valdivia reported that he was given a submission deadline of twenty days for the written defence.

On the accommodation in prison he writes that "the beds consist of cement blocks. At night, the prisoners loudly shout for medicine in order not to become insane because of the pain." Nevertheless, Juan Carlo Leyva explains: "I will never commit suicide." Leyva is Baptist. His absolute faith in God gives him the strength to live through the detention and the trial. ISHR has sent him the Spanish braille edition of the Gospel according to John. However, it is not known whether it was handed over to him by the prison administration.

Leyva is exposed to severe human rights violations in the prison of Cego de Avilla. ISHR reports that the wife of the blind Cuban civil rights activist is afraid for her husband's life. In a letter from prison, Leyva sends a cordial embrace to all people of good will who fight for his release.
ISHR calls on the Cuban government to immediately release Leyva. Leyva suffers from high blood pressure, headaches and substantial nervous problems. Like many other political prisoners on Cuba, he does not receive appropriate medical assistance.

According to information from the independent press agency "Cuba Press" dated 28 August, the independent journalists Lexter Tellez Castro and Carlo Brizuela Yera, who had been arrested together with Leyva, face a prison sentence of six and five years respectively for "disrespect for the government", "disruption of public order" and "disobedience". In their cases, too, the exact date for the beginning of the trial has not yet been set.