• Submitted by: manso
• Politics and Government
• 04 / 09 / 2011

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Published April 08, 2011. EFE. Madrid –  The Spanish government announced Friday the end of the process of freeing political prisoners in Cuba now that 115 people have been released, of whom 103 have gone to Spain together with 647 family members.

The foreign ministry reported in a communique the end of the prisoner releases decided in a pact between the Raul Castro government and the Catholic Church, after the arrival Friday in Madrid of another 37 freed inmates accompanied by more than 200 family members.

Of the 115 dissidents who have left jail in the last nine months, only 12, from the "Group of 75" jailed in March 2003, remain in Cuba, having refused exile to Spain.

The released prisoners who accepted exile have gone with 647 family members and the Spanish government's commitment to provide them with economic aid, lodging, help in finding jobs and the validation of their university degrees.

In its note, the foreign ministry said that, besides the 52 members of the Group of 75, other prisoners of conscience were freed who were on the lists of Amnesty International and other human-rights organizations.

The ministry speaks in its communique of "political prisoners," a term the Cuban government has always found unacceptable.

The conclusion of the process of freeing prisoners comes a week before the 6th Congress of Cuba's ruling Communist Party begins in Havana, the first to be held since 1997 and in which the transferral of power from Fidel Castro to younger brother Raul is expected to be completed.

The 37 released dissidents and their families who arrived in Madrid Friday will be taken to reception centers in different provinces with the aid of the Red Cross and other NGOs.

The foreign ministry has provided the latest Cubans to arrive in Spain with advice on applying for international protection, an element of the Law of Exile.

Up to now the Spanish government has granted 41 documents of political exile and 231 subsidiary protections for released prisoners and their families exiled since last July.


Source: http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/politics/2011/04/08/