REPRESSION ON RECORD Year after year, the Castro regime's ongoing, systematic abuses against the Cuban people are denounced by dozens of governments and human rights organizations. Here is just a sample of what others are saying about human rights conditions in Cuba today:	"Yes, we have them.  We have a few hundred political prisoners.   Is that a violation of human rights?" -Fidel Castro (in interview with Robert McNeill,  responding to the question: Do you have political prisoners still in jail in Cuba?) According to Amnesty International, Cuba continues to hold "hundreds" of political prisoners in its vast network of over 250 prisons. Many more are imprisoned for "economic" crimes that consist of engaging in private enterprise activities such as selling produce without a license, or other simple acts that defy the regime's control over all aspects of life. Others are imprisoned for "attempted illegal departure" -- the charge made against those who seek to escape Cuba in search of freedom.  Below are just a few of Cuba's most prominent prisoners of conscience: Francisco Chaviano González   was arrested in May 1994 and sentenced to 15 years' imprisonment on several charges, including "revealing state security secrets" and "falsifying public documents". His trial in a military court fell short of international standards for fair trial. Amnesty International has classified Mr. Chaviano as a prisoner of conscience, imprisoned because of his peaceful and legitimate activities as President of the unofficial National Council for Civil Rights in Cuba. Chaviano is suffering from poor health, including a duodenal ulcer, and  has been harassed as a result of complaints that he has made against the prison authorities. Dr. Oscar Elías Biscet a physician, is the President and Founder of the Lawton Foundation for Human Rights, a group founded in 1997 to promote the defense of human rights inside Cuba and the establishment of the democracy and the rule of law. Dr. Biscet is currently serving a three-year sentence for his defense of human rights in Cuba. He is being held in Cuba Si prison where he is the subject of routine beatings and psychological torture by the regime. Before his sentence, Dr. Biscet had been arbitrarily detained 26 times in 18 months. Jorge Luis García Pérez  a political prisoner, is founder of the Pedro Luis Boitel Political Prisoners movement. Antunez is serving a 15-year sentence for denouncing human rights violations in Cuba and for expressing the need for a change of system on the island. He began expressing his discontent with the system at an early age and as a result  was prevented from continuing his education. He has been the subject of intense beatings and torture for his refusal to participate in mandatory Marxist indoctrination programs and for defending the rights of other political prisoners also subject to inhumane treatment and prison conditions.
"…The Cuban government's human rights practices were generally arbitrary and repressive. Hundreds of peaceful opponents of the government remained behind bars, and many more were subject to short-term detentions, house arrest, surveillance, arbitrary searches, evictions, travel restrictions, politically-motivated dismissals from employment, threats, and other forms of harassment. By criminalizing enemy propaganda, the spreading of "unauthorized news," and the insulting of patriotic symbols, the government effectively denied freedom of speech under the guise of protecting state security. The authorities also imprisoned or ordered the surveillance of individuals who had committed no illegal act, relying upon laws penalizing "dangerousness" (estado peligroso) and allowing for "official warning" (advertencia oficial). "  -Human Rights Watch, World Report 2000
"Individuals and groups peacefully exercising their rights to freedom of expression, association and assembly continued to face repression. In Cuba, repression of dissent is legitimized by the Constitution and the Penal Code. Some offences against state security, such as ''propaganda enemiga'', ''enemy propaganda'', as well as offences against authority, such as ''desacato'', ''disrespect'', have been widely applied to silence critics."  -Amnesty International, Country Report 2001
"Harassment of dissidents and independent initiatives by civil society has become much more institutionalized as well as more subtle. Not only are they harassed, but also their belongings are constantly confiscated. They are often not allowed to work or participate in the social and economic life of the country." -Pax Christi, Cuba Report 2000
"The state of freedom of the press in Cuba is extremely precarious, with a handful of journalists trying to maintain a measure of independence of information, and surviving the ceaseless persecution of the regime. The Cuban regime has put into effect what appears to be a new mode of controlling the press: a sort of de facto house arrest that has been applied to more than 10 reporters just as they were about to cover events potentially uncomfortable for the government."  -Inter-American Press Association, February 2000
"… The practice of the Cuban authorities has not changed, nor have the constitutional and criminal law provisions on which they are based. In other words, there has been persistent harassment, accusations, the adoption of disciplinary measures, official warnings, and penalties involving deprivation of liberty against persons who peacefully displayed their disagreement with government policy. These groups are characterized by their desire to use only peaceful means in expressing their grievances, despite which the authorities consider their activities illegal, and they are persecuted in various forms". - OAS Inter-American Commission on Human Rights 2000
"The Government's human rights record remained poor. It continued to violate systematically the fundamental civil and political rights of its citizens. Citizens do not have the right to change their government peacefully. The Government does not allow criticism of the revolution or its leaders. Laws against antigovernment propaganda, graffiti, and disrespect of officials carry penalties of between 3 months and 1 year in prison. If President Castro or members of the National Assembly or Council of State are the objects of criticism, the sentence can be extended to 3 years. Charges of disseminating enemy propaganda (which includes merely expressing opinions at odds with those of the Government) can bring sentences of up to 14 years. In the Government's view, such materials as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, international reports of human rights violations, and mainstream foreign newspapers and magazines constitute enemy propaganda." -U.S. Department of State, February 2001
"The Cuban constitution says that the media can "in no case" be in the hands of private owners, and that press freedom should be "in conformity with the goals of socialist society". In this context about one hundred journalists, gathered into about twenty independent agencies, try to exercise their right to inform. By calling them "counter-revolutionaries", President Fidel Castro, in power since January, 1959, is trying to isolate them at all costs from the population and maintain a tight grip on information. In practice the "maximo leader's" words translate into a veritable "strategy of harassment" -Reporters Without Borders, Enemies of the Press, 2001

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