[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 16 Introduced in House (IH)]






108th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. CON. RES. 16

 Calling for the immediate release of all political prisoners in Cuba, 
       including Dr. Oscar Elias Biscet, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 28, 2003

 Mr. Andrews submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was 
          referred to the Committee on International Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
 Calling for the immediate release of all political prisoners in Cuba, 
       including Dr. Oscar Elias Biscet, and for other purposes.

Whereas the Cuban Government found Dr. Oscar Elias Biscet, a 39-year-old Afro-
        Cuban physician and human rights activist, guilty of ``dishonoring the 
        symbols of the fatherland'' and sentenced him to 3 years in a Cuban 
        prison merely because he placed the Cuban flag upside down as an 
        international symbol of distress;
Whereas as documented by Amnesty International, Dr. Oscar Elias Biscet has 
        joined the ranks of thousands of political prisoners being held in 
        Cuba's abysmal prisons;
Whereas some of these prisoners are being held merely for expressing their 
        frustration with the Cuban Government's refusal to provide better health 
        care and improve prison conditions;
Whereas in 1999, the Cuban Government adopted the Law for the Protection of 
        National Independence and the Economy of Cuba, also known as ``Law 
        Number 88'' or the ``Gag Law'';
Whereas under this law Cubans face up to 5 years in prison for the harmless act 
        of writing a letter that describes food shortages and up to 20 years in 
        prison for supporting the United States embargo of Cuba;
Whereas the Cuban Government uses its food rationing system to promote tyranny 
        and control the Cuban populace;
Whereas in cases in which the Cuban Government is unable to establish grounds 
        for long prison terms for political dissidents, these dissidents are 
        continually harassed, detained for short periods of time, subject to 
        their phones being tapped, and otherwise under constant surveillance;
Whereas foreign dignitaries are seldom allowed by the Cuban Government to meet 
        with Cuban political dissidents; and
Whereas Cuban dictator Fidel Castro continues to deny that the Cuban Government 
        holds any political prisoners: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That
            (1) it is the sense of the Congress that the embargo of 
        Cuba should not be lifted until the Cuban Government agrees to 
        decriminalize free speech, association, and movement, and other 
        elements crucial to the development of democracy and the 
        protection of fundamental human rights; and
            (2) the Congress calls on the Cuban Government--
                    (A) to immediately release all political prisoners 
                in Cuba, including Dr. Oscar Elias Biscet;
                    (B) to eliminate all of Cuba's criminal laws that 
                unnecessarily restrict the fundamental human rights to 
                freedom of speech, association, and movement; and
                    (C) to respect fundamental human rights and free 
                multiparty and internationally supervised elections in 
                Cuba.
                                 <all>