In response to Cuba's election to its fifth term on the Human Rights Council, 85 Cuban and international human rights and freedom of expression organizations, together with independent media outlets, issued the following statement:
We are deeply concerned by the decision to grant Cuba another opportunity to hold a seat on the Human Rights Council. This not only rewards Cuba’s poor human rights record, but also undermines the Council’s integrity in holding abusive governments accountable for their actions in the region and around the world.
The nations that have the honor of serving on the Council must commit to international human rights law. Council members must ensure that Cuba does not evade responsibility for its own conduct or use its seat to undermine these international standards. As organizations dedicated to the protection and promotion of human rights, we will be vigilant, monitoring Cuba's actions within the Council, and ensuring that human rights and fundamental freedoms are respected and protected.
Background
On October 13, 2020, at the UN General Assembly, the international community granted Cuba a new seat on the Human Rights Council. Since its founding in 2006, Cuba had held one of the eight seats on the Human Rights Council allocated to Latin America and the Caribbean for four terms. During Cuba's 12 years on the Council, the country supported only 66 of the 205 resolutions adopted in response to serious human rights violations worldwide.
In the three cycles of the Universal Periodic Review, Cuba has received severe criticism for violations of freedom of association and expression, political persecution, arbitrary detentions, restrictions on movement within the country and on travel abroad, lack of judicial independence, censorship, internet control, and limited media pluralism. In July 2020, these violations were even publicly displayed at the Human Rights Council when the Cuban representative and his allies censored human rights defender Ariel Ruiz Urquiola by constantly interrupting him as he spoke about the crimes committed against him and his sister by the Cuban government.
Cuba has not ratified the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, or the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. Furthermore, the Cuban government has not extended an invitation to the UN Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights Defenders. The International Committee of the Red Cross, which visits prisoners held for political offenses, has been unable to enter the island since 1989. Cuba is also the only country in the Americas that Amnesty International has been unable to visit since 1990.
In the report “Freedom in the World 2020” According to Freedom House, Cuba scored 14 out of a possible 100 on civil and political liberties, the lowest in Latin America. In 2019, the report “The state of democracy in the world” International IDEA declared that Cuba ranks among the bottom 25 percent in the world for civil society participation, and that it is the only country in the region that has not taken significant steps toward a democratic transition in the last four decades. Classified as an authoritarian regime, it ranks 143rd out of 167 countries in the “Democracy Index 2019” According to The Economist Intelligence Unit, Cuba has also received multiple low rankings from human rights and freedom of expression organizations. For example, in its most recent report, Human Rights Watch highlighted the Cuban government's continued repression and punishment of dissent and public criticism through beatings, public shaming, travel restrictions, and arbitrary dismissals from jobs.
In 2019, the Office of the Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights concluded that in Cuba “there persists a serious disregard for the essential elements of freedom of expression, representative democracy, and its institutions.” Likewise, in its 2020 report on the human rights situation in Cuba, the IACHR identified a common pattern in the use of arbitrary detention as a method of harassment employed by the police and State Security agents. According to organizations such as Prisoners Defenders and the Cuban Observatory for Human Rights, there were between 125 and 138 political prisoners in Cuba as of October 2020.
The country continues to be, year after year, among the worst ranked in terms of press freedom in Latin America, and occupies position 171 out of the 180 countries analyzed in the World Press Freedom Index 2020 of Reporters Without Borders (RSF). The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) includes Cuba is on a list of the 10 countries with the highest level of censorship on the planet.
Signatories:
1. 14 and a Half
2. AC Consortium, Development, Justice
3. ADNCuba
4. Tense Wings
5. Eastern Democratic Alliance
6. Regional Alliance for Free Expression and Information
7. Inverted Tree
8. Article 19 Office for Mexico and Central America
9. Cuban Association of Small Entrepreneurs (ACPE)
10. Cuban Association for the Dissemination of Islam
11. Association for Press Freedom (APLP)
12. Independent Trade Union Association of Cuba (ASIC)
13. CADAL
14. Cuban Center for Human Rights
15. Center for Justice and Peace – Cepaz
16. Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW)
17. CIVICUS
18. Civil Rights Defenders
19. Club of Writers and Artists of Cuba
20. College of Independent Pedagogues of Cuba (CPIC)
21. Cuban Committee for Human Rights (CCPDH)
22. Citizens' Committee for Racial Integration
23. Sephardic Jewish Community Bnei Anusim of Cuba
24. Independent National Workers' Confederation of Cuba
25. Agramontist Current (group of independent Cuban lawyers)
26. CubaLex
27. CubaNet
28. Democratic Culture
29. Deliberate Organization
30. Demo Amlat
31. Demongels
32. Diario de Cuba
33. Hypermedia Publishing
34. Public Space (Venezuela)
35. Venezuelan Federation of Law Students
36. Venezuelan Federation of Political Science Students
37. Criminal Forum
38. Forum 2000 Foundation
39. Freedom House
40. Student Democratic Front
41. Citizenship and Development Foundation (Ecuador).
42. National Foundation for Legal, Political and Social Studies
43. Hearts on Venezuela
44. Urge
45. Cuban Institute for Freedom of Expression and the Press (ICLEP)
46. La Rosa Blanca Institute
47. Patmos Institute
48. Political Institute for Liberty (IPL)
49. Inventory
50. Justice, Encounter and Forgiveness
51. Active Youth United Cuba
52. The Hour of Cuba
53. Freedom Cuba Lab
54. Cuban Youth Dialogue Table (MDJC)
55. International Apostolic and Prophetic Ministry “Strong Wind”
56. Ministry of Women to Women
57. Movement for Freedom of Expression (MOLE)
58. San Isidro Movement
59. Museum of Dissidence in Cuba
60. Cuban Observatory for Human Rights
61. Observatory of Academic Freedom (OLA)
62. Another Monday – Hispanic American Magazine of Culture
63. Outreach Aid to the Americas, Inc. (OAA)
64. Open Word
65. PEN America
66. PEN Argentina
67. PEN Club of Cuban Writers in Exile
68. PEN International
69. PEN Nicaragua
70. People in Need (PIN)
71. People in Need Slovakia
72. Prisoners Defenders
73. Cuba Program
74. Venezuelan Program for Education and Action in Human Rights (Provea)
75. Bridge in Sight
76. International Apostolic Network Fire and Dynamics RAIFD
77. Inclusive Culture Network
78. Women's Advocacy Network (REDAMU)
79. Cuban Women's Network
80. Latin American and Caribbean Network for Democracy (REDLAD)
81. Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights
82. Solidarity of Cuban Workers (STC)
83. Tremendous Note
84. A World Without a Gag
85. Yucabyte