Blas Giraldo Reyes Rodríguez
Encyclopedia
Blas Giraldo Reyes Rodríguez (born August 7, 1955) is a Cuba
n librarian and a member of Varela project
. He was imprisoned in 2003 during a crackdown on dissidents
and sentenced to 25 years in prison. Amnesty International
has declared him as a prisoner of conscience
.
His wife, Isel Acosta, is a member of Ladies in White
. Isel Acosta has been assaulted by mobs: "banging on windows and doors, shouting insults and making threats against her life. The Cuban government has organized mob assaults against its critics in the past, and there are indications of official involvement in this incident, as well".
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
n librarian and a member of Varela project
Varela Project
The Varela Project is a project that was started in 1998 by Oswaldo Payá of the Christian Liberation Movement and named after Felix Varela, a Cuban religious leader...
. He was imprisoned in 2003 during a crackdown on dissidents
Black Spring (Cuba)
Black Spring refers to the 2003 crackdown on Cuban dissidents. The government imprisoned 75 dissidents, that included 29 journalists, as well as librarians, human rights activists, and democracy activists, on the basis that they were acting as agents of the United States by accepting aid from...
and sentenced to 25 years in prison. Amnesty International
Amnesty International
Amnesty International is an international non-governmental organisation whose stated mission is "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights, and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated."Following a publication of Peter Benenson's...
has declared him as a prisoner of conscience
Prisoner of conscience
Prisoner of conscience is a term defined in Peter Benenson's 1961 article "The Forgotten Prisoners" often used by the human rights group Amnesty International. It can refer to anyone imprisoned because of their race, religion, or political views...
.
His wife, Isel Acosta, is a member of Ladies in White
Ladies in White
Ladies in White is an opposition movement in Cuba consisting of wives and other female relatives of jailed dissidents. The women protest the imprisonments by attending Mass each Sunday wearing white dresses and then silently walking through the streets dressed in white clothing...
. Isel Acosta has been assaulted by mobs: "banging on windows and doors, shouting insults and making threats against her life. The Cuban government has organized mob assaults against its critics in the past, and there are indications of official involvement in this incident, as well".