Cuba

Resolution of the 62nd General Assembly Mexico City, Mexico September 29 – October 3, 2006 WHEREAS press freedom has been suppressed in Cuba for 47years WHEREAS the government is keeping 26 journalists, may of whom have serious health problems, in unhealthy and crowded prisons, where conditions are aggravated by terrible food, a lack of medical attention, mistreatment of the inmates and the requirement to leave with very dangerous common prisoners WHEREAS police intimidation, government reprisals, temporary detentions, searches of homes and harassment by mobs mobilized and instigated by State Security agents have increased, all with complete impunity WHEREAS the Cuban government has a highly restrictive policy on granting work visas to foreign journalists WHEREAS journalist Guillermo Fariñas ended his hunger strike after seven months for health reasons, although the cause of his protest, lack of access to the Internet, has not changed WHEREAS Principle 1 of the Declaration of Chapultepec says, No people or society can be free without freedom of expression and of the press. The exercise of this freedom is not something authorities grant, it is an inalienable right of the people” WHEREAS Principle 4 of the Declaration of Chapultepec says “Freedom of expression and of the press are severely limited by murder, terrorism, kidnapping, pressure, intimidation, the unjust imprisonment of journalists, the destruction of facilities, violence of any kind and impunity for perpetrators. Such acts must be investigated promptly and punished harshly THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE IAPA RESOLVES to demand the unconditional release of all the jailed journalists and the end of government reprisals to demand that the Cuban government end its selective policy on granting visas to foreign journalists to demand that the government respect international standards concerning the need for journalists to travel and allow journalists who have been released from jail and who have visas for health reasons to leave the country to demand that the government accept Guillermo Fariñas’s proposal that the Internet be accessible to all Cuban citizens without restrictions.