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Cuba: An organization called Humanitarian Association Followers of Christ (Asociación Humanitaria Seguidores de Cristo), its treatment by authorities, and the current situation of its leader and a specific man

A statistical report on independent or non-government organizations in Cuba, reportedly produced by a Cuban organization in Havana and published by a support group in Miami, lists the Humanitarian Association Followers of Christ (Asociación Humanitaria Seguidores de Cristo) as a "humanitarian" organization (other categories in the report include political, youth, cultural, peasant, etc.) (IECI Dec. 2001). The report states that the number of members of the group and the number of municipalities in which it is present are "reserved" information (reservado), but it does state that the group was created in 1991 (ibid.). The organization that produced the report, the Cuban Institute of Independent Economists (ICEI), has an entry for the Humanitarian Association Followers of Christ, providing the following information [translation]:

Date of foundation: 21 November 1991

Goals: Rescuing essential human values within society, manifested as a period of reconciliation, forgiveness and love among men. The activities of the association involve sick people, prisoners, elderly persons and other vulnerable sectors, providing assistance without discrimination.

Leader: Isabel del Pino Sotolongo

Address: San Rafael 578, apto. 5, entre Gervasio y Escobar,

Centro Habana, Ciudad de La Habana

Telephone: 63 4000 (Elsa García García, Vice-president)

Number of members: Reserved (ibid.).

ICEI cites Isabel del Pino Sotolongo as the source for the above information (ibid.).

Further to the news articles and additional information obtainable through Regional Documentation Centres, recent references on Isabel del Pino Sotolongo include a full paragraph on her situation in Country Reports 2001:

On May 9, the Popular Municipal Court in Central Havana informed 58-year-old Isabel del Pino Sotolongo, president of the Humanitarian Association of the Followers of Christ King, that her trial was suspended for the third time. A neighbor had accused del Pino of threatening to kill her, and police initiated legal proceedings against her on the basis of this accusation. Opposition groups rejected this accusation because following a 1999 attack, del Pino's state of health had deteriorated to the point where she physically would be incapable of committing such an act. Del Pino was not detained because of her poor health. After the second suspension of her trial on April 23, del Pino initiated a hunger strike to protest the court's action and prolonged deliberation. Religious leaders and human rights activists convinced her to terminate her hunger strike after 72 hours because of her state of health (4 Mar. 2002, sec. 1.e).

The Humanitarian Association Followers of Christ is listed as one of several groups supporting the Proyecto Varela (Revista Hispano Cubana Mar. 2002), a 2001 "project sponsored by the Christian Liberation Movement, led by Oswaldo Paya Sardinas, to have 10,000 citizens sign a petition requesting a popular referendum, as provided for by the Constitution of 1976, on the need for political and economic changes" (Country Reports 2001 4 Mar. 2002, sec. 1.e).

More recently, the Miami-based Cuba Free Press reported that Isabel del Pino Sotolongo was insulted on the street by a government official who was also a former neighbour of hers and had accused her of attempted homicide in 2001 (20 Feb. 2002). The source adds that this charge was eventually dropped for lack of evidence, but the court viewing the case has reportedly refused to issue in writing its decision (ibid.). The same report states that the daughter and granddaughter of Isabel del Pino in 2001 left the country due to "unceasing harassment and persecution" (implacable persecusión y acoso) by the security forces; it adds that Isabel del Pino now faces a lawsuit from the Housing Institute (Instituto de la Vivienda), seeking 10,000 pesos as a result of her daughter leaving the country, since she was co-owner of the house Isabel del Pino resides in (ibid.).

The same source reports in another article that Ignacio Cavel Pimentel, a member of the Humanitarian Association Followers of Christ, was detained by police on his way from Pinar del Rio (15 Mar. 2002). He was reportedly interrogated for some hours, threatened during interrogation, and asked to become an informant (ibid.).

No additional or corroborating information for either report could be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate.

The Miami-based Christian-Democrat Party of Cuba (Partido Demócrata-Cristiano de Cuba) includes the Humanitarian Association Followers of Christ in its listings of dissident, opposition and human rights organizations of Cuba (PDCC 17 Apr. 1997; ibid. 6 June 1998; ibid. 22 Oct. 1999). The three listings describe the group as founded in 1993 and having a "Christian and humanitarian character" (caracter cristiano y humanitario); the three listings provide similar listings of persons belonging to the group and described as activists, persons tending to prisoners, and delegates in at least five municipalities.

No references to a man by the name provided in the information request, in relation to the Humanitarian Association Followers of Christ, could be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate.

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.

References

Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2001. March 2002. "Cuba." Washington, DC: United States Department of State. <http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/ 2001/wha/8333.htm> [Accessed 21 June 2002]

Cuba Free Press, Miami. 15 March 2002. Edel García Díaz. "Tratan de ahorcar a opositor pacífico." <http://www.cubafreepress.orb/art2/cubap020315gg.html> [Accessed 21 June 2002]

_____. 20 February 2002. Edel García Díaz. "Funcionaria del gobierno, insulta a luchadora por los derechos humanos." <http://www.cubafreepress.orb/art2/ cubap020220ee.html> [Accessed 21 June 2002]

Instituto Cubano de Economistas Independientes "Manuel Sánchez Herrero" (ICEI), Havana. December 2001. Estadísticas de organizaciones independientes. <http://www.cubaicei.org/REGISTRO%20ORGANIZACIONES/Estadisticas/estadistica.pdf> [Accessed 21 June 2002]

_____. 24 November 2001. Registro de Organizaciones Independientes. <http://www.cubaicei.org/REGISTRO%20ORGANIZACIONES/A%20organizaciones.htm> [Accessed 21 June 2002]

Partido Demócrata-Cristiano de Cuba (PDCC), Miami. 22 October 1999. Siro Del Castillo et al. "Lista de organizaciones disidentes, opositoras y de derechos humanos." <http://www.pdc-cuba.org/cubaorg-99.htm> [Accessed 12 June 2002]

_____. 6 June 1998. Siro Del Castillo et al. "Lista de organizaciones disidentes, opositoras y de derechos humanos." <http://www.pdc-cuba.org/lista.htm> [Accessed 21 June 2002]

_____. 17 April 1997. Siro Del Castillo et al. "Lista de organizaciones disidentes, opositoras y de derechos humanos." <http://www.pdc-cuba.org/orga.htm> [Accessed 21 June 2002]

Revista Hispano Cubana [Madrid]. March 2002. No. 11. "Proyecto Varela." <http://www.hispanocubana.org/revistahc/paginas/revista8910/REVISTA11/articulos/proyecto.html> [Accessed 21 June 2002]