To the Kind Attention of the Vice President / High Representative Federica Mogherini European External Action Service 1046 Brussels

To the kind attention of the Vice President / High Representative Federica Mogherini European External Action Service 1046 Brussels 24th April 2015, Brussels Dear HR/VP Federica Mogherini, We are highly concerned regarding the prolonged confinement of visual artist Tania Bruguera in Cuba, arrested by the Castro regime on 30th December for attempting to stage a pro-democracy peaceful art performance entitled Tatlin’s Whisper #6 in Havana's Plaza de la Revolución. Since then, Bruguera has been held without her passport in a legal limbo on the island, she has no legal representation and she is currently facing criminal charges for “counter-revolutionary activities". Other artists in Cuba are facing censorship and imprisonment: Ailer González, who participated in the performance together with her partner and political activist Antonio Rodiles are facing same charges and their passports have been seized; Angel Santiesteban and Danilo Maldonado "El Sexto" are currently imprisoned in Cuba for exercising their basic human right to free expression. Civil societies, cultural institutions and prominent artists are making their voice being heard across the globe. On 23rd March the Palais de Tokyo in Paris and numerous French cultural institutions have expressed concern about the situation of the Cuban artists. Several museums in the US have launched a call for global action in support of Tania Bruguera. On 13th April, a restaging of her art performance about freedom of expression took place in Times Square, New York, to stand in solidarity with her and the other Cuban artists. The United States and Cuba began talks to restore diplomatic relations since December and the declaration by President Obama and Raúl Castro at the recent regional meeting on 11th April in Panama represents a great achievement in the effort to re-establish diplomatic ties after half a century of hostilities. On 22nd April, the official meeting between Cuba’s Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez and you, High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, resulted in a successful step in the process of strengthening the relations and comprehensive cooperation between the EU and Cuba. We believe that any step in such progress for international diplomacy should be accompanied by a radical demand towards the change of Cuban policies on restricting freedom of expression and jailing political dissidents: Cuba is among the world's worst human rights offenders, according to Human Right Watch. In this contest, we ask you, High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, to take action and call on the Cuban Government to urge the release and drop all charges against Tania Bruguera, Ailer González, Antonio Rodiles, Angel Santiesteban and Danilo Maldonado. We are looking forward to your response, Yours Sincerely, Fernando MAURA BARANDIARÁN Pavel TELIČKA Guy VERHOFSTADT Sophie IN 'T VELD Tomas ZDECHOVSKY Dita CHARANZOVÁ Javier NART Beatriz BECERRA Enrique CALVET CHAMBON Maite PAGAZAURTUNDÚA Tunne KELAM Juan Carlos GIRAUTA VIDAL Marietje SCHAAKE Petras AUSTREVICIUS Izaskun BILBAO BARANDICA Gérard DEPREZ Ilhan KYUCHYUK Jose Inacio FARIA Krystyna ŁYBACKA Ana Maria GOMES Nedzhmi ALI Martina DLABAJOVÁ Cecilia WIKSTRÖM Petr JEŽEK Alexander LAMBSDORFF Marian HARKIN Jozo RADOS Philippe DE BACKER Yana TOOM Julie WARD Georgios EPITIDEIOS Matthijs VAN MILTENBURG Urmas PAET Jean ARTHUIS Hans VAN BAALEN António MARINHO E PINTO Gesine MEISSNER .

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