Case History: Berta Soler
On 15 December 2016, human rights defenders Ms Berta Soler, Ms María Cristina Labrada, Ms Soldrelys Torruella and Ms María Hortensia Melián were arbitrarily detained. Berta Soler was released on the night of the same day but the other three Ladies in White remain in detention.
Berta Soler is the leader of the movement Damas de Blanco Laura Pollán, that was created in 2003 to advocates for the release of political prisoners in Cuba. Damas de Blanco Laura Pollán members are frequently subject to harassment during their weekly protests in Havana.
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- 16 December 2016 : Berta Soler and three other Ladies in White arbitrarily detained, one remains in incommunicado detention
- 6 January 2016 : 97 arbitrary detentions of human rights defenders
- 11 December 2015 : Around 330 arbitrary detentions of human rights defenders in one week
- 28 September 2015 : Clampdown and detention of over 200 human rights defenders during Papal visit
On 15 December 2016, human rights defenders Ms Berta Soler, Ms María Cristina Labrada, Ms Soldrelys Torruella and Ms María Hortensia Melián were arbitrarily detained. Berta Soler was released on the night of the same day but the other three Ladies in White remain in detention.
Download the Urgent Appeal (PDF)
Berta Soler is the leader of the movement Damas de Blanco "Laura Pollán" (Ladies in White "Laura Pollán"). The Ladies in White are an internationally acclaimed peaceful civic movement made up of wives and female relatives of jailed dissidents. Since 2003, they have consistently advocated for the release of political prisoners in Cuba by attending mass every Sunday wearing white clothing, to symbolise peace, and silently walking through the streets. María Cristina Labrada, Soldrelys Torruella and María Hortensia Melián are also members of the Ladies in White based in Havana. In 2005, the Ladies in White were awarded the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought by the European Parliament, as a recognition for their work campaigning for the release of 75 jailed dissidents. However, they were barred from travelling and were not able to collect their prize until April 2013. Members of the Ladies in White are frequently subjected to harassment, arbitrary arrest and detention, house arrest, physical attacks, surveillance and intimidation in retaliation for their peaceful protests.
On 15 December 2016, at 9:30 in the morning, human rights defender Berta Soler was arrested by agents of the National Revolutionary Police as she stepped out of her house in Havana. Neither her family or members of the movement were notified of her whereabouts. She was held for nine hours without food or water, and released at 7pm that day. Upon release, one of the police officers threatened her saying she would be arrested every time she attempted to attend mass, knowing that this is the usual place where Ladies in White congregate before or after peacefully marching. That same day, María Cristina Labrada, Soldrelys Torruella and María Hortensia Melián were detained after attending mass in the Havana Cathedral. María Cristina Labrada remains in incommunicado detention, without any notice of her whereabouts having been given to her family members. Soldrelys Torruella and María Hortensia Melián remain in detention in the police station of Cotorro.
On 1 December 2016, several Cuban organisations denounced the repression against human rights defenders in the island at a hearing hosted by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR). The petitioners described the violent backlash faced by defenders who denounce human rights violations in regional and international human rights forums. Human rights defenders who attended the last hearings hosted by the IACHR in April of this year have faced violent retaliation as a result of their human rights work denouncing violations in international forums. Those individuals include Leticia Ramos and Berta Soler, both leaders of the Ladies in White, Laritza Diversent, director of the human rights law firm Cubalex and Roberto de Jesús Guerra, director of the organisation for freedom of expression Hablemos Press. Amongst the forms of retaliations faced by these defenders are travel bans, arbitrary detentions, torture and inhumane treatment, constant surveillance, being followed, criminalisation, smear campaigns, acts of intimidation and death threats. In every case human rights defenders are accused of being 'traitors' and 'mercenaries' by State security agents.
Front Line Defenders condemns the arbitrary arrest and detention of members of the Ladies in White as well as of the retaliations against the human rights defenders resulting from their legitimate and peaceful human rights work.
Front Line Defenders urges the authorities in Cuba to:
1. Immediately and unconditionally release María Cristina Labrada, Soldrelys Torruella and María Hortensia Melián, as Front Line Defenders believes that they are being held solely as a result of his legitimate and peaceful work in the defence of human rights;
2. Ensure that the treatment of María Cristina Labrada, Soldrelys Torruella and María Hortensia Melián, while in detention, adheres to the conditions set out in the ‘Body of Principles for the Protection of All Persons under Any Form of Detention or Imprisonment', adopted by UN General Assembly resolution 43/173 of 9 December 1988;
3. Take all necessary measures to guarantee the physical and psychological integrity and security of Berta Soler, María Cristina Labrada, Soldrelys Torruella, María Hortensia Melián as well as that of their families, in consultation with the defenders;
4. Inform the family and lawyer of María Cristina Labrada of the place of her detention, and allow all of the aforementioned defenders immediate and unfettered access to their families and lawyers;
5. Immediately and unconditionally remove all restrictions on the free movement of Berta Soler and cease all further forms of surveillance or harassment against her, as it is believed that these measures are not only solely related to her legitimate human rights activities but, furthermore, constitute a direct transgression of her rights;
6. Carry out an immediate, thorough and impartial investigation into threats, arbitrary arrest and detention of the aforementioned human rights defenders, with a view to publishing the results and bringing those responsible to justice in accordance with international standards;
7. Guarantee in all circumstances that all human rights defenders in Cuba are able to carry out their legitimate human rights activities without fear of reprisals and free of all restrictions, including judicial harassment.
Between the 1st and the 3rd of January 2016, 97 human rights defenders from different movements and organisations were arbitrarily arrested and detained in connection with their participation in the peaceful movement “Todos Marchamos” (We all March).
The movement, which is organised by the Damas de Blanco (Ladies in White), demands the release of political prisoners in Cuba.Among the human rights defenders detained were members of Ladies in White, including its leader Ms Berta Soler, and other human rights defenders from different movements and organisations.
Fifty-eight of the human rights defenders were arrested on 1 January 2016 while attempting to attend the first Mass of the year at the Cathedral of Havana. Of these, fifty-six were released on the date of their detention, with two released on the following day, 2 January 2015. A further thirty-nine human rights defenders were arrested on 3 January 2016 as they tried to attend Sunday Mass. All thirty-nine were subsequently released on the same date. On both occasions the arrests were aimed at preventing the human rights defenders from organising and participating in any demonstrations linked to the “Todos Marchamos” (We all March) movement.
These acts of repression orchestrated by the Cuban government follow the arbitrary detention of 330 human rights defenders in similar circumstances in December 2015, and further evidence a pattern of human rights defenders being arbitrarily arrested and temporarily detained, in order to prevent them from conducting their legitimate human rights work.
Damas de Blanco has also reported that many of the human rights defenders detained in connection with their involvement in the “Todos Marchamos” movement have been kept in detention for over a month, with some awaiting trial for their peaceful dissent in Cuba. Among these human rights defenders are Hugo Damian Prieto, Miguel Borroto Vazquez, Mario Alberto Hernandez Leyva, Silverio Portales, Leudis Reyes Cuza, Maybel Mediaceja Ramos, David Fernandez Cardoso and Wilberto Parada.
From 29 November 2015 to 6 December 2015, more than 330 human rights defenders from different movements and organisations were arrested in connection with their work, demanding the release of political prisoners in Cuba.
Most of them were arrested on 6 December 2015, in an attempt to prevent them from participating in the demonstration “Todos Marchamos” (We all March), organised by the Damas de Blanco (Ladies in White).
Among the human rights defenders who were detained are 31 members of Ladies in White, including its leader Ms Berta Soler, and almost 300 other human rights defenders from different movements and organisations, including Frente de Acción Cívica “Orlando Zapata Tamayo” – FACOZT (Civic Action Front “Orlando Zapata Tamayo”) and Unión Patriotica de Cuba – UNPACU (Patriotic Union of Cuba). This is the 33rd consecutive Sunday that the Ladies in White and members of other human rights movements and organisations have faced arbitrary temporary arrests.
Every Sunday members of Ladies in White attend mass at Santa Rita Church and march around the neighbourhood carrying pictures of political prisoners in Cuba and demanding their release. These weekly demonstrations are part of the campaign “Todos Marchamos”, which has gathered support from many others human rights movements in Cuba.
Mr Zaqueo Baéz Guerrero, a member of UNPACU, is the only human rights defender out of the 330 recently arrested that has not yet been released. Seven other human rights defenders have been kept under detention since October 2015 while awaiting trial for their peaceful dissent in Cuba. These seven are Hugo Damian Prieto, Miguel Borroto Vazquez, Mario Alberto Hernandez Leyva, Silverio Portales, Leudis Reyes Cuza, Maybel Mediaceja Ramos, David Fernandez Cardoso and Wilberto Parada.
Between 19 and 22 September 2015 hundreds of human rights defenders (HRDs) were prevented from speaking out during the Pope's visit to Cuba, according to what local sources told Front Line Defenders. Several HRDs were arrested and detained, while others were put under surveillance and prevented from leaving their houses in a clear attempt to stop them from organising demonstrations during the Pope's visit.
Of the more than 200 HRDs and activists detained, most belonged to human rights organisations Foro Antitotalitario Unido – FANTU (United Anti-totalitarian Forum), Unión Patriotica de Cuba – UNPACU (Patriotic Union of Cuba), Movimiento Cristiano Liberación – MCL (Christian Liberation Movement), Cuba Independiente y Democrática – CID (Independent and Democratic Cuba) and Damas de Blanco Laura Pollán (Ladies in White).
The Foro Antitotalitario Unido is a non-governmental organisation which works to bring about democratic change in Cuba through non-violent action in Havana, Matanzas, Cienfuegos, Sancti Spíritus and Villa Clara. Also working on the same issues are Unión Patriotica de Cuba and Movimiento Cristiano Liberación, organisations that advocate for political change and respect for civil liberties. Damas de Blanco Laura Pollán was created in 2003 to advocates for the release of political prisoners in Cuba. Damas de Blanco Laura Pollán are frequently subject to harassment during their weekly protests in Havana.
Among the 70 members of Damas de Blanco Laura Pollán who were detained was Ms Berta Soler, the leader of the movement, who remained in detention for 2 days, from 20 September 2015 to 21 September 2015. This arbitrary detention was reportedly intended to prevent Berta Soler from attending the Pope's mass at the Revolutionary Square (Plaza de la Revolución) on 20 September 2015, as well as to prevent the organisation of any demonstrations during the mass.
The largest targeted clampdown was against Unión Patriotica de Cuba, as a total of 142 of its members were arrested in the cities of Havana, Holguín and Santiago de Cuba. The Foro Antitotalitario Unido also reported that 26 of its activists were arrested in Villa Clara province as they were making their way to Havana to attend the mass on 20 September 2015. Members of other civil organisations, including the Movimiento Cristiano Liberación and Cuba Independiente y Democrática, were also arrested.
The Pope's visit to Cuba occurred in the context of various abuses and human rights violations perpetrated by Cuban government. From 19 to 22 September 2015 the government engaged in a what has been reported as a “social cleansing” operation, in which many impoverished and homeless people were detained in order to hide all evidence of social problems from the many foreign visitors and the international media. Meanwhile HRDs who speak out against the regime continue to be targets of systematic repression at the hands of the authorities.
