(30 Nov 2004)
Washington DC - 29 Nov 2004
1. US State Department Spokesman Richard Boucher entering press conference
2. SOUNDBITE (English) Richard Boucher, Spokesman, US State Department:
"We think that it's important to remember the pressure from democratic nations has helped contribute to their (Cuban dissidents') release and to remember that these Cubans are brave people who were jailed solely for exercising their human rights. We really don't give any credit to the Cuban government for releasing them since they never should have been jailed to begin with. We hope that they can return to their work to build a truly just and open Cuban society. We continue to condemn the unjust incarceration of dozens of other prisoners of conscience and we repeat our call to the Cuban government to release all political prisoners immediately."
Havana - 29 Nov 2004
3. Cuban dissident Oscar Espinosa Chepe, Cuban dissident, with press
4. Photo of Oscar Espinosa Chepe in police car
5. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Oscar Espinosa Chepe, Cuban dissident:
"I really want to stay in Cuba. I consider myself Cuban. All my life I've given everything for my country, but what one wants is one thing and what one can do is another thing. I'm going to try to stay in my country by all means. But I repeat, I just got out of prison and I don't know what conditions there are and I would like to stay in my country and die here, because I am a Cuban."
6. Photo of Chepe with his wife, Miriam Leyva
7. Chepe kissing his wife
8. Dissidents' wives and Margarito Broche, Cuban dissident, talking on the phone
9. Tilt up from badge to close up of Laura Poyan, wife of Hector Maceda, Cuban dissident
10. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Margarito Broche, Cuban dissident:
"Well, I don't feel well because I'm sick, and besides there are still other people (in prison), our brothers, to be freed, and we also need an amnesty for all political prisoners and the Cuban government needs to respect human rights in Cuba."
11. Broche and his wife Maria Caridad Noa
12. Wide shot of Elizardo Sanchez, Cuban dissident walking
13. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Elizardo Sanchez, Cuban dissident:
"We'll have to wait for the Cuban government to give a clearer response to the demands of the international community that all political prisoners be released unconditionally."
FILE - Havana, 19 March 2004
14. Various of dissidents' wives dressed in white walking along street
FILE - Havana, 5 Oct 2004
15. Various of dissidents' wives walking, and sitting in front of Revolution Square
STORYLINE:
Three Cuban dissidents from a group of 75 arrested in a broad crackdown last year were unexpectedly released for health reasons on Monday.
The US government welcomed the release. US State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said pressure from democratic countries contributed to their release, but said the detainees should never have been imprisoned in the first place.
Those freed on parole included economics writer Oscar Espinosa Chepe, who has been in a prison hospital for months with a liver ailment, according to his wife, Miriam Leyva.
Chepe's cause has become well known among some human rights groups outside of Cuba through international campaigns for his release.
Also freed on Monday were physician Dr. Marcelo Lopez, and fellow dissident Margarito Broche.
Earlier reports that another dissident, Felipe Mustafa, had also been released could not be confirmed.
After his release, Espinosa Chepe spoke from his home and said he hoped the rest of the original 75 prisoners would be able to return to their homes soon as well.
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