Jailer Threatens Miguel Galbán

By Dorka Céspedes, Lux Info Press

Havana, May 11, 2004 - (www.cubanet.org) - Officer Diosdado Muñoz Moré, Director of Agüica Penitentiary Center, located in Matanzas Province, threatened conscience prisoner Miguel Galbán with breaking his two arms, with grabbing him by the neck and with hanging him.

The threats occurred on February 2 and March 30, as explained by Galbán to his family during the May 3rd. visit, supposedly due because he fasted in commemorative dates and claimed for his rights that are constantly violated.

On his part, the re-educator, told Galbán’s family that the inmates’ rights in those Cuban penitentiary centers mentioned by the Ministry of Foreign Relations, did not include prisoners of conscience because they were in a “higher security system”. The prison’s Disciplinary Council took the step of eliminating the 2nd. of May visit because it found Galbán guilty of disobeying an officer of Internal Order, a punishment that was later changed by reducing ten pounds of allowed food products for the next visit, set for August 2.

Teresa Galbán, the prisoner of conscience’s sister, indicated: “Miguel has regained his weight of 61 kilograms (134 pounds), he has a very pale skin because they don’t take him out in the sun and he is almost bald at 39 years”. She added that her brother remains firm in his ideas. “When they threaten him—she said—he answers that he is ready to die for his principles”.

The Mid-Level jails and prisons authorities have not authorized yet a change of treatment for Miguel Galbán and his companions Alexis Rodríguez, Manuel Ubaldo González and Pablo Pacheco, who remain in maximum security cells since April 23, 2003. These inmates are kept isolated, without electricity, without water, with a visit every three months and a conjugal visit every five months, a 30 pounds bag of food items every three months and no religious assistance.

Galbán Gutiérrez sentenced to 26 years of loss of freedom, at the moment of his arrest was Vice-Director of the National Center of Labor and Union Training. Galbán is a Mechanical Engineer and a Master in Maintenance.