Guilty Sentences on Four Dissident Human-Rights Activists in Cuba
(Statement by the Press Secretary/Director-General for Press and Public Relations, Ministry of Foreign Affairs)

March 17, 1999

The Government of Japan expresses its regret at the reports that on March 15, four dissident human-rights activists in the Republic of Cuba who have been a focus of the attention of the international community were pronounced guilty and sentenced to three-and-a half to five years in jail.
The Government of Japan has been urging the Government of Cuba to improve its human-rights situation, taking every opportunity including bilateral policy talks that started last year and bilateral talks between the foreign ministers of last February. And, the two Governments agreed that, despite the differences in the fundamental opinion of human rights issues, it should be necessary for the two countries to continue dialogue in good faith on this matter so that the two countries could deepen mutual understanding and further develop the bilateral relations.
In Cuba, however, as the present guilty sentences symbolize, there are continuing violations of human rights, such as restrictions on the freedom of political activities, freedom of assembly and association, and freedom of expression. Japan is concerned about the above-mentioned situation and strongly hopes that Cuba will promote democratization and improve its human-rights situation.

(END)