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NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Veronica Mayer
Saturday, February 15, 2020 (703) 566-3037

OAS Commission on Human Rights Warns Cuba:

Cease Persecution of Jailed UNPACU Members
(Washington, D.C.) On Friday, February 14, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights
of the Organization of American States advised the Global Liberty Alliance that it has granted
Precautionary Measures in support of several members of a Cuban political opposition party,
the Patriotic Union of Cuba better known by its Spanish acronym, UNPACU. These are:
Fernando González Vaillant, José Pupo Chaveco, and Roilan Zárraga Ferrer.

“​While a good development, much more needs to be done to ensure that

UNPACU leaders and others are released and allowed to freely exercise their
fundamental rights​,” said Jason Poblete from the Global Liberty Alliance.
“​Cuba’s Communist Party and regime officials should realize this action is the
result of efforts undertaken by independent lawyers and other civil society
leaders in Cuba who came to the defense of UNPACU. They are committed to
defending the fundamental rights of the Cuban people, including UNPACU and
other political opposition groups and their leaders. Violations of these liberties
will not go unanswered.”​

Poblete explained: ​“On ​November 13, 2019​, with the support of Mr. Ferrer’s
family and a coalition representing a large cross-section of Cuba’s opposition
movement, the Global Liberty Alliance (GLA) called on the Inter-American
Commission for Human Rights of the Organization of American States to adopt
precautionary measures to protect the lives of Mr. Ferrer and his other UNPACU
colleagues who have been unlawfully detained by the Cuban government for
weeks. The arrest of UNPACU members was part of a widespread and ongoing
crackdown on dissidents and peaceful opposition groups in Cuba.”

A part of The Global Rule of Law & Liberty Legal Defense Fund
globallibertyalliance.org
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On October 18, 2019, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo ​strongly condemned the unlawful
detention of Mr. Ferrer and his colleagues.

BACKGROUND

Founded in 2011, UNPACU is one of the largest opposition groups in Cuba. Since its creation,
its members have been subjected to imprisonment, torture, forced labor and other cruel,
inhuman, or degrading treatment and punishment. There are currently close to 50 of UNPACU’s
leaders held as political prisoners in Cuba. You can learn more about UNPACU ​here​.

As outlined by the OAS rules and procedures, the precautionary measures mechanism is
“designed to ensure a rapid response by the Commission in serious and urgent situations where
there is an imminent risk of irreparable harm to persons or groups of persons in the 35 OAS
member states. It is a mechanism utilized by all global and regional human rights bodies. The
authority to issue recommendations to member states for averting irreparable harm to persons
stems from Article 106 of the OAS Charter, which states the Commission’s principal function is
“to promote the observance and protection of human rights.” This mandate is reflected in Article
41.b of the American Convention on Human Rights which, in turn, is reflected in Article 18.b of
the IACHR Statute and in the Inter-American Convention on Forced Disappearance of Persons.”

The Commission’s Decision can be accessed at the end of this post or the Commission’s website.

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GLA/UNPACU CIDH/Feb. 15, 2020.

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