Tuesday, June 13, 2006

LUXEMBOURG, (AFP): The European Union criticised Cuba on Monday for the deterioration of human rights on the island but decided not to reintroduce sanctions against President Fidel Castro's regime.

In conclusions from their meeting in Luxembourg, the EU's 25 foreign ministers deplored "the further deterioration of the human rights situation in Cuba" since their last assessment a year ago.

The Union slapped sanctions on Havana in June 2003 following a crackdown by the authorities on political dissidents but lifted them in early 2005.

In their conclusions, the ministers expressed concern over "several dozen acts of violent harrassment and intimidation" since July 2005, a month after the bloc first renewed its suspension of sanctions for a year.

They also "urged the Cuban government to unconditionally release all political prisoners, including the group of 75 who were detained and sentenced in 2003."

They said the EU wanted to continue a "genuine dialogue" with the Havana authorities as well as the opposition and peaceful society and that the Union would offer "practical support towards peaceful change in Cuba".

The ministers decided to keep the suspension of sanctions valid for another year, despite a call from the Czech Republic to toughen EU policy toward the island.

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