Recently-released Cuban political prisoners Ricardo González Alfonso, Normando Hernández, Antonio Díaz and Alejandro González Raga urged Parliament's Human Rights Subcommittee on 13 September for not revising the Council policy decision on Cuba of 1996. This policy decision determines the dialogue with La Havana to progress in human rights and political openness on its part.

In this meeting held in Brussels on 13 September, Human Rights Subcommittee Chair Heidi Hautala welcomed the four Cuban ex-prisoners, reminding the conditions they had to go through during their imprisonment, and highlighting that there are another 115 political prisoners who are still behind bars in Cuba.

One of the ex prisoners pointed out to the Parliament some action which can help to improve the human rights situation in Cuba by raising awareness of the work of human rights groups. The debate on Cuba should be promoted in the European Parliament and in the UN Human Rights Council, even though some groups of countries have affinities with the Cuban government and, Mr Diaz continued, there must be free and independent elections in Cuba.

No changes in the Council policy decision on Cuba

Asked about their opinion on how changing the EU Council policy decision of 1996, which defines relations with Cuba and makes any resumption of dialogue conditional upon progress on human rights and political openness from the Cuban side, could  improve the human rights situation in Cuba or some more "fresh air" to the regime, the ex-prisoners were categorical: all four ex-prisoners opposed revising the policy decision.

"If in Cuba there were real freedom of expression, of association and of press, I would come here to ask that the common position be modified", said Mr González Alfonso. The policy decision "is not against the Cuban people, but against the Castro regime", added Mr Hernández González.