Jailed Cuban journalists to be flown to Spain

Statements issued by the Catholic Church in Cuba , which has been negotiating for the release of the prisoners, have identified 20 political detainees who are to be released imminently. The statement identified the following 10 journalists as among those to be released: Normando Hernández González, Julio César Gálvez Rodríguez, Omar Ruíz Hernández, Mijail Bárzaga Lugo, Ricardo González Alfonso, Alfredo Pulido López, José Ubaldo Izquierdo, Léster Luis González Pentón, Pablo Pacheco Avila, and José Luis García Paneque.

Details of the planned releases have been fragmentary. The Cuban government and the official Cuban press have not disclosed any information on the releases or their timing.

News reports indicated that not all of the 20 detainees would be on tonight’s flight. The Spanish Foreign Ministry, which has also been in talks with Cuba over the release of the detainees, said that a group of seven political prisoners will be flown to Spain with their families late tonight, arriving in Madrid between 1 and 2 p.m. local time, The Associated Press reported.

Over all, the church said in statement last week, the government of Raúl Castro has agreed to release a total of 52 political prisoners, with subsequent releases coming over a three- to four-month period.

Copyright: Committee to Protect Journalists