‘The Ladies in White’ Activists Detained on Eve of Human Rights Day

94 members of the Cuban peaceful pro-democracy group – The Ladies in White – were detained on the eve of Human Rights Day.

Reports say the women acitivists were reportedly beaten they gathered to attend church.

The Ladies in White was formed in 2003 when the Cuban government sentenced 75 human rights defenders, and independent journalists to terms of up to 28 years in prison.

The groups is known for attacking Cuba’s ongoing human rights abuses.

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Ladies in White demonstration in Havana (April 2012).

Condemning the arrest of the women activists, the United States of America today expressed deep concern over the Cuban Government’s repeated use of arbitrary detention and violence to silence critics, disrupt peaceful assembly, and intimidate independent civil society.

In her statement in Washington DC today, Department Spokesperson Victoria Nuland calls on the Cuban Government to end the increasingly common practice of arbitrary and extrajudicial detentions.

“We look forward to the day when all Cubans can freely express their ideas, assemble freely, and express their opinions peacefully.” – Ms. Nuland

Ladies in White is an opposition movement in Cuba consisting of wives and other female relatives of jailed dissidents.

According to Wikipedia, the women protest the imprisonments by attending Mass each Sunday wearing white dresses. The women silently walking through the streets dressed in white clothing.

Mina Fabulous
Mina Fabulous follows the news, especially what is going on in the US State Department. Mina turns State Department waffle into plain English. Mina Fabulous is the pen name of Carmen Avalino, the NewsBlaze production editor. When she isn't preparing stories for NewsBlaze writers, she writes stories, but to separate her editing and writing identities, she uses the name given by her family and friends.