In relation to point number one, Cuba's political prisoners, I have here a list of names, sentences, prisoners, and the prisons where our Cuban political prisoners are located. Regrettably, they are subjected to all manner of mistreatment in prison. This includes being beaten up, punished, harassed, or even killed. The political prisoners I speak of are prevented from receiving food and medical care; denied contact and visits from their family; forced to be naked in front of the general prison population; denied access to medicine, even if brought by the families; kept away from the sun for prolonged periods of time, as much as one month at a time; and they're also locked in punishment cells and generally held in cells that are overpopulated by common criminals.
This mistreatment drives some prisoners of conscience to attempt suicide. Some succeed by hanging themselves or cutting their veins. As the political prisoners are in cells with common criminals, they face continuous acts of violence among inmates generally and against them also. This is a humiliating situation for them because the Cuban government does not recognize their political affiliation and treats them as common criminals. The material and sanitary conditions within the 300 prisons are abominable and would be abhorrent for any human being. I have brought you a replica of a punishment cell. The authorities keep political prisoners for between 6 to 12 months in this kind of cell, with the purpose of destroying their will and demoralizing them.
This degrading mistreatment is not only for men. There are 79 women's prisons in the country, where the same injustices are done to female political prisoners. For example, the political prisoner Maria de los Angeles Borrego, who is serving a four-year sentence in the Manto Negro women's prison in Havana, claims that prison authorities have neglected her repeated cries for medical attention. Female political prisoners are beaten by common criminals in women's prisons and humiliated by prison authorities.
I want to draw your attention to the 78 prisoners of conscience, and particularly to senior citizens who have spent several years in prisons and have grave, serious health problems. I have attached to my report a partial list of these prisoners. Among those whom I wish to draw your attention to are Nelson Aguiar Ramirez, 61 years of age; Pedro Pablo Alvarez Ramos, 59; Julio Cesar Galvez, 62; Francisco Chaviano Gonzalez; Arnaldo Ramos Lauzerique, who is 65; Omar Pernet Hernandez, 61; and Omar Moises Ruiz, 59. All of these people have been sentenced to between 13 to 26 years in prison. They have acute health problems that have been exacerbated by the Cuban authorities and by spending several years under wretched prison conditions.