Wave of journalistic arrests in Cuba


Journalists have been detained in a wave of arrests in Cuba. They included Yaremis Flores, who is also a lawyer, Guillermo Fariñas and Iván Hernández Carrillo. A group of bloggers such as Yoani Sánchez, Orlando Luís Pardo, Eugenio Leal, Julio Aleaga, Angel Santiesteban and Laritza Diversent, were later arrested for staging a protest against the detentions.


Flores has been charged with "disseminating false news" that harms the "international peace" or the "prestige" of the Cuban state. If found guilty, she faces up to four years in prison.


Her "crime" is to have reported on the recent detentions of journalists and to have detailed local criticism of the government's response to hurricane Sandy in articles published by the Miami-based news website Cubanet.


Yoani Sánchez, a world press freedom hero, took to Twitter after being released. She tweeted: "When will this absurdity end?"


Sources: IPI/CPJ






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