Cuba releases 7 political prisoners, sends them into exile in Spain
By APMonday, July 12, 2010
Cuba frees 7 political prisoners into exile
HAVANA — Cuba has released seven political prisoners and sent them with their families into exile in Spain, the first wave in a group of 52 such inmates authorities have promised to free.
Omar Ruiz, one of those released, says the prisoners were taken to the airport Monday and reunited with their relatives in a waiting room.
They then boarded a commercial flight for Madrid.
Cuba’s Roman Catholic Church reached an agreement last week with the government to free those still imprisoned from a 2003 crackdown that jailed 75 activists.
The releases will take months, but would be Cuba’s largest liberation of political prisoners since 1998.
Spain has agreed to accept the first group, but it’s not clear if those prisoners released subsequently can stay in Cuba or will be sent elsewhere.
