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resolution motion, 16 September 2024

On the case of José Daniel Ferrer García in Cuba

Motion B-10-2024-0041 · (2024/2805(RSP))

on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group · Rapporteur: Diana Riba I Giner, Vicent Marzà Ibáñez, Nicolae Ştefănuță

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AI:In short

This resolution concerns the case of José Daniel Ferrer García in Cuba. It calls for his immediate and unconditional release, along with all political prisoners, and urges Cuba to respect human rights. It also calls on the EU institutions and member states to support human rights defenders, condemn the detention, and monitor conditions. It urges Cuba to comply with its obligations and asks the US to lift the embargo.

Key points

  1. Calls on Cuban authorities to immediately and unconditionally release José Daniel Ferrer and all political prisoners detained for exercising human rights.
  2. Urges Cuba to ensure Ferrer's basic rights, including health care and family communication, pending release.
  3. Expresses concern about the human rights situation in Cuba and calls on the government to protect rights and amend the Criminal Code to prevent unlawful force and arbitrary detentions.
  4. Highlights the role of human rights defenders and calls on the Commission and member states to support Ferrer and other victims.
  5. Calls on the Commission, member states, and the EU Delegation in Havana to publicly condemn the detention and call for release.
  6. Calls on Cuba to grant unhindered access to EU institutions, human rights organisations, and international organisations, including the UNHRC, for monitoring.
  7. Calls on Cuba to comply with its obligations under the EU-Cuba agreement and international treaties, and stresses regular human rights dialogues with civil society.
  8. Calls on the US to lift the embargo against Cuba and remove it from the list of State Sponsors of Terrorism.

Who is affected

  • Cuban authorities and government: must release prisoners, respect rights, amend laws, and allow access.
  • EU institutions and member states: must support defenders, condemn detention, and monitor conditions.
  • US: must lift the embargo and remove Cuba from the terrorism list.

Written by AI from the full text · every figure comes from the text · ¶ opens the paragraph · 4 Sept 2026 · Report a problem

Full text

Text 14 paragraphs

B100041/2024

Motion for a European Parliament resolution on the case of José Daniel Ferrer García in Cuba

(2024/2805(RSP))

The European Parliament,

– having regard to its previous resolutions on Cuba, in particular the one of 16 December 2021,

– having regard to Rule 150,

A. whereas the human rights defender and opposition leader José Daniel Ferrer was detained on 11 July 2021 when he was headed to attend the July 2021 protests in Cuba; whereas numerous protesters have been arrested in Cuba ever since; whereas he has been held in solitary confinement since August 2021; whereas his family has been denied systematically regular visits and could only visit him twice since his detention; whereas he suffers from health problems and does not have access to proper medical treatment; whereas he was already detained previously in the context of the Black Spring crackdown against dissidents in 2003;

Calls on the Cuban authorities to immediately and unconditionally release the prisoner of conscience José Daniel Ferrer and all those political prisoners detained for exercising their human rights, including the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly; in this context and pending his release, urges the Cuban authorities to ensure that his basic human rights, including access to health care, are fully respected and that he is allowed to communicate with his family regularly;

Is concerned about the alarming human rights situation in Cuba, particularly for dissidents and human rights activists; calls on the Cuban government to protect human rights and to ensure the rights to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression, without discrimination based on political views; calls on the Cuban authorities to amend the current legislative framework, notably the Criminal Code, which has enabled the unlawful use of force by the security forces and arbitrary detentions of protesters;

Highlights the key and indispensable role played by human rights defenders in Cuba; calls on the Commission and the Member States to support José Daniel Ferrer and all the other victims of human rights violations and arbitrary detentions in Cuba;

Calls on the Commission, the Member States and the EU Delegation in La Havana to publicly condemn the detention of José Daniel Ferrer and call for his immediate release; calls on the Cuban authorities to grant unhindered access to EU institutions, human rights organisations and international organisations, including the UNHRC, so that they can closely monitor the condition detentions of José Daniel Ferrer and the rest of the political prisoners in the island;

Calls on the Government of Cuba to comply with its human rights obligations under the EU-Cuba Political Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement and the international human rights treaties that Cuba has adhered to; underlines the importance of holding regular human rights dialogues between the EU and Cuba with the full participation of independent Cuban civil society organisations;

Calls on the US to lift the embargo imposed against Cuba and to remove Cuba from the list of “State Sponsors of Terrorism”;

Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the HR/VP and the Government and National Assembly of Cuba.