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More than fifty members of the Parliamentary Forum for Democracy network expressed support to the appeal to International Inquiry into the Death of Oswaldo Paya
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March 26, 2013

More than fifty members of the Parliamentary Forum for Democracy network expressed support to the appeal to International Inquiry into the Death of Oswaldo Paya

 

An open letter to United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay, and Ambassadors of all Member States

12 March 2013

Excellencies,

We urge you to support our demand for an international and independent investigation into the alleged murder of Cuban dissident Oswaldo Payá, a world-renowned figure and recipient of the European Parliament’s Sakharov Prize, who died in a car crash in Bayamo, Cuba, on July 22, 2012, together with fellow activist Harold Cepero.

In dramatic new testimony by the driver of the car, Ángel Carromero describes, in a Washington Post interview dated 6 March 2013, how their vehicle was followed, harassed and ultimately rammed from behind by a car bearing government license plates. Mr. Carromero further alleges that, following the crash, he was drugged, mistreated and coerced by Cuban authorities into making a false confession.

The new revelations corroborate the claims made by the families of the victims and other witnesses, as well as the report by Spain’s ABC news agency about text messages sent contemporaneous with the incident from the mobile phones of Mr. Carromero and another passenger, Aron Modig, indicating that their car was chased and then hit, causing the crash.

Significantly, according to the family of Oswaldo Payá, state security agents had repeatedly threatened to kill him.

Mounting and credible allegations that the Cuban government may have been complicit in the murder of its most prominent critic, a leading figure in the human rights world, cannot go ignored by the international community.

The families of the victims, and the people of Cuba, have a right to know the truth, and they have a right to justice. This can only happen with the creation of an international and independent inquiry. We therefore respectfully urge you to support our call.

Sincerely,

1. Armando Calderon Sol, former President of El Salvador

2. Alfredo Cristiani, former President of El Salvador

3. Luis Alberto Lacalle, former President of Uruguay

4. Alejandro Toledo, former President of Peru

5. Edward McMillan-Scott, Vice-President of European Parliament

6. Markus Meckel, former Foreign Minister of Germany

7. Irwin Cotler, MP, former Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada

8. Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Nobel Peace Laureate

9. Zbigniew Romaszewski, former Speaker of Polish Senate, a founder of the Solidarity movement

10.  Stanislav Shushkevich, former president of Supreme Soviet of Belarus, a current opposition leader in Belarus

11.  Arnold Vaatz MP, Deputy Leader CDU, Germany

12.  Jón Baldvin Hannibalsson, former Foreign Minister of Iceland

13.  Mantas Adomênas MP, Lithuania

14.  Laura Alonso MP, Argentina

15.  Mbarka Bouaida, former MP, Morocco

16.  Philip Claeys MEP

17.  Michael Danby MP, Australia

18.  Mátyás Eörsi, Secretary-General of Parliamentary Forum for Democracy, former MP, Hungary

19.  David Kilgour, former MP, Canada

20.  Adam Lipinski MP, former State Secretary of Poland

21.  Martin Palouš, former Ambassador, Czech Republic

22.  Marija Aušrinė Pavilioniene MP, Lithuania

23.  Marco Perduca, Italian Senator, co-vicepresident of Nonviolent Radical Party

24.  Janelle Saffin MP, Australia

25.  Egidijus Vareikis MP, Lithuania

26.  Renate Wohlwend MP, Lichtenstein

27.  Emanuelis Zingeris MP, Lithuania, President of Parliamentary Forum for Democracy

28.  Algis Chaste MP, Lithuania

29.  Rimantas Jonas Days MP, Lithuania

30.  Corina Fusu MP, Moldova

31.  Tadeusz Iwinski MP, Poland

32.  Vytautas Juozapaitis MP, Lithuania

33.  Liutauras Kazlavickas MP, Lithuania

34.  Valeriu Munteanu MP, Moldova

35.  Victor Popa MP, Moldova

36.  Paulius Saudargas MP, Lithuania

37.  Valeriu Saharneanu MP, Moldova

38.  Werner Schulz MEP, Germany

39.  Aurelija Stancikiene MP, Lithuania

40.  Povilas Urbsys MP, Lithuania

41.  Fabian Hamilton MP, United Kingdom

42.  Patricio Walker, Senator, Chile

43.  Lincoln Diaz-Balart, former Congressman, United States

44.  Matteo Mecacci, former MP, Italy

45.  András Schiffer MP, Hungary

46.  Katalin Ertsey MP, Hungary

47.  Eligijus Masiulis MP, Lithuania

48.  Gintaras Steponavičius MP, Lithuania

49.  Albinas Mitrulevičius MP, Lithuania

50.  Irena Šiaulienė MP, Lithuania

51.  Domas Petrulis MP, Lithuania

52.  Algirdas Sysas MP, Lithuania

53.  Raminta Popovienė MP, Lithuania

54.  Gediminas Kirkilas MP, Lithuania

55.  Arūnas Dudėnas MP, Lithuania

56.  Orinta Leiputė MP, Lithuania

57.  Audronė Pitrėnienė MP, Lithuania

58.  Dangutė Mikutienė MP, Lithuania

59.  Zita Žvikienė MP, Lithuania

60.  Jolita Vaickienė MP, Lithuania

61.  Valentinas Mazuronis MP, Lithuania

62.  Vytautas Antanas Matulevičius MP, Lithuania

63.  Linas Balsys MP, Lithuania

64.  Vitalijus Gailius MP, Lithuania

65.  Rokas Žilinskas MP, Lithuania

66.  Juras Požėla MP, Lithuania

67.  János Horváth MP, Hungary

68.  Rene Bolio, former Senator, Mexico, President of Concertation Mexicana

69.  Rosa Díez González MP, Spain

70.  Carlos Martínez Gorriarán MP, Spain

71.  Álvaro Anchuelo Crego MP, Spain

72.  Irene Lozano Domingo MP, Spain

73.  Antonio Cantó García del Moral MP, Spain

74.  Francisco Sosa Wagner MEP, Spain

75.  Carlo Casini MEP, Italy

76.  Annelie Enochson MP, Sweden

77.  Alf Svensson MEP, Sweden

78.  Penilla Gunther MP, Sweden

79.  Bi-khim Hsiao MP, Taiwan

80.  Yi-Jin Yeh MP, Taiwan

81.  Kun-Tse Lee MP, Taiwan

82.  Chun-Yi Lee MP, Taiwan

83.  Tai-Hua Lin MP, Taiwan

84.  Chia-Lung Lin MP, Taiwan

85.  Wen-Ling Huang MP, Taiwan

86.  Chien-Kuo Liu MP, Taiwan

87.  Hillel Neuer, Executive Director, United Nations Watch

88.  John Suarez, International Secretary, Cuban Democratic Directorate

89.  Carl Gershman, President, the National Endowment for Democracy

90.  Ken Wollack, President, National Democratic Institute

91.  Lorne Craner, President, International Republican Institute

92.  Zohra Yusuf, Chairperson, Human Rights Commission of Pakistan

93.  Yang Jianli, President, Initiatives for China

94.  Carlos E. Ponce, General Coordinator, Latin American and Caribbean Network for Democracy

95.  Faisal Fulad, Secretary General, Bahrain Human Rights Watch Society

96.  Art Kaufman, Senior Director, World Movement for Democracy, National Endowment for Democracy

97.  Alessandro Pettenuzzo, European Union of Public Relations

98.  Lehlohonolo Chefa,  Executive Director, Policy Analysis and Research Institute of Lesotho

99.  Anki Flores, Former Secretary-General of the Antiracism Information Service, Geneva

100. Shauna Leven, Director, René Cassin organization

101. Bhawani Shanker Kusum, Executive Director, Gram Bharati Samiti, India

102. Duy Hoang, Spokesperson, Viet Tan

103. Dickson Ntwiga, Executive Director, Solidarity House International Foundation

104. Nazanin Afshin-Jam, President, Stop Child Executions

105. Atamao B T Kane, President, Southpanafrican International

106. Okay Machisa, Zimbabwe Human Rights Association

107. Obinna Egbuka, President, Youth Enhancement Organization

108. International Multiracial Shared Cultural Organization

109. Zofia Romaszewska, one of the founders of Solidarity movement, Poland

110. Fernando Savater, philosopher, writer and activist, Spain

111. D. José Luis Orella, President, Foro Arbil, Spain

112. Viktorija Braziunaite, Chair, Young Leaders Forum

 

Published by UN Watch - at March 21, 2013 in human rights council (unhrc).

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