Written question asked by Lord Patten (Conservative), in the House of Lords. It was answered by Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead (Labour) on Monday, 22 March 2010.

Cuba: Prisons

Question: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the circumstances surrounding the death on 23 February of Mr Orlando Zapata, a political prisoner in Cuba; and whether they have raised, or intend to raise, his death with the Government of Cuba.

Answer: We have been closely following the case of Orlando Zapata Tamayo who died as a result of a sustained hunger strike on 23 February and have been in contact with various unofficial groups in Cuba that focus on political prisoners. We have not raised the specific case of Orlando Zapata with the Cuban Government but I myself met with the Cuban Foreign Minister, Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla, in Geneva on 2 March, where we discussed human rights in a broad sense. I followed up this meeting by writing to the Foreign Minster and reiterated our long-standing call for the release of all political prisoners in Cuba. Further, on 25 February a spokesperson for the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs issued a statement expressing regret at the death Orlando Zapata. The statement also highlighted that human rights in Cuba—particularly the plight of political prisoners—remain a priority for the EU and are regularly discussed with the Cuban Government within the framework of the EU-Cuba political dialogue. The UK Government will continue to call for improvements in human rights in Cuba, for Cuba to allow independent inspection of its prisons, and to arrange dates for a proposed visit by the UN Special Rapporteur for Torture. We will also look for opportunities to raise this issue during the UN Human Rights Council session taking place this month.

Secondary information