From the inbox: freedom of speech in Cuba

I've ended up on Amnesty International's UK email list, and while I know that some of you are probably scoffing at that ( after all, isn't Amnesty International a lefty organization ( or somesuch? ), I think they're spot-on when it comes to some things, and one of them is freedom of speech, particularly in Cuba. The following is quoted from my inbox:

For years Cubans have lived with really tough restrictions on free expression and opinion, meaning that any journalists who dare to criticise the authorities may find themselves intimidated, arrested for no meaningful reason or, worse, sent to prison.

As Amnesty’s new report today on freedom of expression in Cuba points out, this Caribbean country remains a difficult place to work as an independent journalist -laws are vague, with terms like ‘social dangerousness’ and ‘contempt of authority’ used to silence dissent. More recently critics of the government who were brave enough to speak out have relied on the blogosphere to get their opinion across. Pablo Pacheco – an independent journalist who’s been sentenced to 20 years in prison - said that blogging is ‘an excellent form of free alternative communication.’ But recently the authorities have clamped down on even this space, by setting up filters which prevent people accessing blogs which criticise the government. In its new report Amnesty’s calling on the Cuban authorities to ease the restrictions on free expression and opinion. Those of us with the freedom to express ourselves openly online can use it to demand the release of Pablo Pacheco. He’s one of the 53 prisoners of conscience in Cuba whom Amnesty is urging should be released. You can do that here.

By writing about this, your blog may well be filtered out by Cuban authorities. Don’t let that put you off. You’re exercising a right for which hundreds of bloggers in Cuba would do anything for. Even go to jail.

Spread the word, etc.