SEPTEMBER 11, 2015

Cuba announces massive prisoner release ahead of Pope’s visit




Pope Francis attends an audience to Parish groups promoting evangelization, in the Paul VI hall at the Vatican, Saturday, Sept. 5, 2015. Riccardo De Luca AP

BY MIMI WHITEFIELD
mwhitefield@MiamiHerald.com

Cuba announced Friday that it would free 3,522 people from its jails — the largest prisoner release since the 1959 revolution — as a gesture of goodwill to Pope Francis who arrives on the island next week for a four-day visit.

The announcement, which appeared in state media Friday morning, said that aside from a few humanitarian cases, the release would not include prisoners convicted of violent crimes such as murder, rape, sexual abuse of children, as well as those jailed for drug trafficking, illegal slaughter of cattle or crimes against the security of the state. The latter would seem to rule out many political prisoners who are often charged with security offenses.

There also were prisoner releases on the eve of Pope John Paul II’s 1998 visit to Cuba and Pope Benedict XVI’s 2012 trip.

The decision by Cuba’s Council of State is expected to go into effect within the next 72 hours. The government didn’t release the names of those who will be coming out of its jails.

But when selecting the prisoners for pardon, Granma, the Communist Party newspaper, said consideration was given to those more than 60 years of age, younger than 20 years if they had no prior convictions, women, the chronically ill, and those nearing the end of their terms or on work release programs.

There are also some foreigners in the group and the Council of State said the Foreign Ministry was working with diplomatic representatives to arrange their repatriation. It said the government also was working with various government entities to reintegrate the prisoners into society and get medical care for those in need.

The news was announced on the front page of Granma in a summary of actions taken by the Council of State at a meeting on Tuesday, but the story itself was played on page 3. In the summary, the prisoner release was mentioned after news that the Grand Theater of Havana would be renamed the Grand Theater of Havana Alicia Alonso in an homage to the work of the famed Cuban ballerina and choreographer and that three Cubans generals would be given the title of “heroes of the Republic of Cuba.”

In comments on Granma’s website, readers were generally supportive of the action. A commenter named Ada said the release was “good news to discuss on a day such as this, Sept. 11.”

In a statement, CubaNow said that “by any measure, the Cuban government's decision to release over 3,500 non-violent offenders ahead of Pope Francis' visit represents progress. This is the largest release of prisoners on the Island since 1959, and it is safe to say that this would not be happening if not for the Holy Father's role in changing U.S.-Cuba relations, and the progress that has been made since.” Cuba and the United renewed diplomatic ties on July 20.

However, the Washington-based advocacy group that is working to lift the embargo said it was disappointed “by reports suggesting that political prisoners may not be among those pardoned.” It urged the government to take those cases into consideration as well as “a gesture of goodwill.”

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