125 Leaders Urge UN

125 Leaders Urge UN: Investigate Cuba Dissident's Death 23 July 2013

One Year After Suspicious Death of Cuba's Top Dissident, 125 Leaders Urge U.N. to Investigate First Time: Appeal Filed As Official Submission to U.N. Human Rights Council, Will Appear On Agenda of September Session Signatories include Archbishop Desmond Tutu, European Parliament VP, former presidents & foreign ministers, ambassadors, human rights activists and dissidents

GENEVA, July 22 -- Marking the first anniversary of the suspicious deaths of top Cuban dissident Oswaldo Paya and activist Harold Cepero, more than 100 public figures from around the world today called on the highest officials of the United Nations to launch an international and independent investigation. (See full text below.) "Mounting and credible allegations that the Cuban government may have been complicit in the murder of its most prominent critic, a leading figure in the human rights world, cannot go ignored by the international community," implores the petition. While leading officials in the U.S. and elsewhere have previously spoken out for an inquiry, this is the first time that the controversy will be officially part of the UN's agenda. The manifesto was filed today as an official submission to the United Nations Human Rights Council by the Geneva-based non-governmental group UN Watch, which organized the appeal together with a fellow human rights group, the Cuban Democratic Directorate.

Under UN rules governing submissions by accredited NGOs, the appeal will be circulated to all delegates as an official UN document, and placed on the agenda of the Human Rights Council's upcoming September session, increasing pressure for an inquiry, and for Cuba to answer for the alleged killings. High-level signatories of the appeal include Archbishop Desmond Tutu, European Parliament Vice-President Edward McMillan-Scott, Chinese dissident Yang Jianli, numerous former presidents, foreign ministers & ambassadors, MPs and human rights activists. The statement calls on UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay, and all 193 UN member states to support the call for an international investigation. Despite previous entreaties, neither Ban nor Pillay have yet endorsed an inquiry. UN Watch has been among the leading voices at the UN for human rights in Cuba, often bringing dissidents to testify before the Human Rights Council. In March, UN Watch brought Havana-based activist Rosa Maria Paya, daughter of the slain dissident, to testify before the Council, where she was rudely interrupted by the Cuban delegate. In May, UN Watch revealed how Cuba used more than 400 front groups to cheat on its quadrennial UN human rights review. The activist group noted the irony that UNESCO has just honored Cuban revolutionary Che Guevara by listing his works in the World Memory Register. "Instead of the UN honoring Che Guevara -- a man of violence who boasted about his firing squads to the UN General Assembly -- the world body should really be honoring Oswaldo Paya, a man of non-violence and disciple of Martin Luther King," said Hillel Neuer, executive director of UN Watch. As submitted today to UNHRC, to be placed on agenda of September 2013 session. Appeal to United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay and Ambassadors of all Member States for an International Inquiry into the Death of Oswaldo Paya Excellencies, We urge you to support our demand for an international and independent investigation into the alleged murder of Cuban dissident Oswaldo Payá, a world-renowned figure and recipient of the European Parliament’s Sakharov Prize, who died in a car crash in Bayamo, Cuba, on July 22, 2012, together with fellow activist Harold Cepero. In dramatic testimony by the driver of the car, Ángel Carromero describes, in a Washington Post interview dated 6 March 2013, how their vehicle was followed, harassed and ultimately rammed from behind by a car bearing government license plates. Mr. Carromero further alleges that, following the crash, he was drugged, mistreated and coerced by Cuban authorities into making a false confession. The revelations corroborate the claims made by the families of the victims and other witnesses, as well as the report by Spain’s ABC news agency about text messages sent contemporaneous with the incident from the mobile phones of Mr. Carromero and another passenger, Aron Modig, indicating that their car was chased and then hit, causing the crash. Significantly, according to the family of Oswaldo Payá, state security agents had repeatedly threatened to kill him. Mounting and credible allegations that the Cuban government may have been complicit in the murder of its most prominent critic, a leading figure in the human rights world, cannot go ignored by the international community. The families of the victims, and the people of Cuba, have a right to know the truth, and they have a right to justice. This can only happen with the creation of an international and independent inquiry. We therefore respectfully urge you to support our call. Sincerely, 1. Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Nobel Peace Laureate

2. Armando Calderon Sol, former President of El Salvador

3. Alfredo Cristiani, former President of El Salvador

4. Luis Alberto Lacalle, former President of Uruguay

5. Alejandro Toledo, former President of Peru

6. Luis Alberto Monge, former president of Costa Rica

7. Edward McMillan-Scott, Vice-President of European Parliament

8. Markus Meckel, former Foreign Minister of Germany

9. Irwin Cotler, MP, former Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada

10. Zbigniew Romaszewski, former Speaker of Polish Senate, a founder of the Solidarity movement

11. Stanislav Shushkevich, former president of Supreme Soviet of Belarus, a current opposition leader inBelarus 12. Arnold Vaatz MP, Deputy Leader CDU,Germany

13. Emma Henriksson MP, Group leader, The Christian Democrats, The Swedish National Parliament

14. Jón Baldvin Hannibalsson, former Foreign Minister of Iceland

15. Emanuelis Zingeris MP, Lithuania, President of Parliamentary Forum for Democracy

16. Josep Antoni Duran i Lleida, Unió Democràtica de Catalunya President, President of the External Affairs Commission of the Spanish Parliament

17. Mantas Adomênas MP, Lithuania 1 8. Laura Alonso, MP,Argentina

19. Mbarka Bouaida, former MP,Morocco

20. Philip Claeys, MEP, Belgium

21. Michael Danby, MP,Australia

22. Mátyás Eörsi, Secretary-General of Parliamentary Forum for Democracy, former MP,Hungary

23. David Kilgour, former MP,Canada

24. Adam Lipinski MP, former State Secretary of Poland

25. Martin Palouš, former Ambassador,Czech Republic

26. Marija Aušrinė Pavilioniene MP,Lithuania

27. Marco Perduca, Italian Senator, co-vicepresident of Nonviolent Radical Party

28. Hillel Neuer, Executive Director, United Nations Watch

29. John Suarez, International Secretary, Cuban Democratic Directorate

30. Carl Gershman, President, the National Endowment for Democracy

31. Ken Wollack, President, National Democratic Institute

32. Lorne Craner, President, International Republican Institute

33. David Kramer, President, Freedom House

34. Zohra Yusuf, Chairperson, Human Rights Commission of Pakistan

35. Yang Jianli, Chinese dissident and former political prisoner, President of Initiatives for China

36. Carlos E. Ponce, General Coordinator, Latin American and Caribbean Network for Democracy

37. Faisal Fulad, Secretary General, Bahrain Human Rights Watch Society 38. Art Kaufman, Senior Director, World Movement for Democracy, National Endowment for Democracy

39. Alessandro Pettenuzzo, European Union of Public Relations

40. Lehlohonolo Chefa, Executive Director, Policy Analysis and Research Institute of Lesotho

41. Anki Flores, Former Secretary-General of the Antiracism Information Service, Geneva

42. Shauna Leven, Director, René Cassin organization

43. Bhawani Shanker Kusum, Executive Director, Gram Bharati Samiti, India

44. Duy Hoang, Spokesperson, Viet Tan

45. Dickson Ntwiga, Executive Director, Solidarity House International Foundation

46. Nazanin Afshin-Jam, President, Stop Child Executions

47. Atamao Kane, President, South Pan-African International

48. Okay Machisa, Zimbabwe Human Rights Association

49. Obinna Egbuka, President, Youth Enhancement Organization International Multiracial Shared Cultural Organization

50. Zofia Romaszewska, a founders of the Solidarity movement, Poland

51. Fernando Savater, philosopher, writer and activist, Spain

52. D. José Luis Orella, President, Foro Arbil, Spain

53. Sasha Gosh-Siminoff, Executive Director, Syrian Emergency Task Force

54. Jorge Ocejo Moreno, President, Organización Demócrata Cristiana de América, Former Mexican Senator

55. Viktorija Bražiūnaitė, Chair, Young Leaders Forum

56. Mazen Hasan, Chairman, Syrian Expatriates Organization

57. Janelle Saffin MP, Australia

58. Egidijus Vareikis MP, Lithuania

59. Renate Wohlwend MP, Lichtenstein

60. Algis Chaste MP, Lithuania

61. Rimantas Jonas Days MP, Lithuania

62. Corina Fusu MP, Moldova

63. Tadeusz Iwinski MP, Poland 64. Vytautas Juozapaitis MP, Lithuania

65. Liutauras Kazlavickas MP, Lithuania

66. Valeriu Munteanu MP, Moldova

67. Victor Popa MP, Moldova

68. Paulius Saudargas MP, Lithuania

69. Valeriu Saharneanu MP, Moldova

70. Werner Schulz MEP, Germany

71. Aurelija Stancikiene MP, Lithuania

72. Povilas Urbsys MP, Lithuania

73. FabianHamilton MP, United Kingdom

74. Patricio Walker, Senator, Chile

75. Lincoln Diaz-Balart, former U.S. Congressman

76. Matteo Mecacci, former MP, Italy

77. András Schiffer MP, Hungary

78. Katalin Ertsey MP, Hungary

79. Eligijus Masiulis MP, Lithuania

80. Gintaras Steponavičius MP, Lithuania

81. Albinas Mitrulevičius MP, Lithuania

82. Irena Šiaulienė MP, Lithuania

83. Domas Petrulis MP, Lithuania

84. Algirdas Sysas MP, Lithuania

85. Raminta Popovienė MP, Lithuania

86. Gediminas Kirkilas MP, Lithuania

87. Arūnas Dudėnas MP, Lithuania

88. Orinta Leiputė MP, Lithuania

89. Audronė Pitrėnienė MP, Lithuania

90. Dangutė Mikutienė MP, Lithuania

91. Zita Žvikienė MP, Lithuania

92. Jolita Vaickienė MP, Lithuania 93. Valentinas Mazuronis MP, Lithuania

94. Vytautas Antanas Matulevičius MP, Lithuania

95. Linas Balsys MP, Lithuania

96. Vitalijus Gailius MP, Lithuania

97. Rokas Žilinskas MP, Lithuania

98. Juras Požėla MP, Lithuania

99. János Horváth MP, Hungary

100. Rene Bolio, former Senator, Mexico, President of Concertation Mexicana

101. Rosa Díez González MP, Spain

102. Carlos Martínez Gorriarán MP, Spain

103. Álvaro Anchuelo Crego MP, Spain

104. Irene Lozano Domingo MP, Spain

105. Antonio Cantó García del Moral MP, Spain

106. Francisco Sosa Wagner MEP, Spain

107. Carlo Casini MEP, Italy

108. Annelie Enochson MP, Sweden

109. Alf Svensson MEP, Sweden

110. Penilla Gunther MP, Sweden

111. Bi-khim Hsiao MP, Taiwan

112. Yi-Jin Yeh MP, Taiwan

113. Kun-Tse Lee MP, Taiwan

114. Chun-Yi Lee MP, Taiwan

115. Tai-Hua Lin MP, Taiwan

116. Chia-Lung Lin MP, Taiwan

117. Wen-Ling Huang MP, Taiwan

118. Chien-Kuo Liu MP, Taiwan

119. Tuan Yi-Kang MP, Taiwan

120. Yu Mei-Nu MP, Taiwan 121. Ramon Espadaler, Unió Democràtica de Catalunya President of General Assembly, Catalan Minister of Interior

122. Josep Maria Pelegrí, Unió Democràtica de Catalunya Secretary General, Catalan Minister of Agriculture

123. Joana Ortega,Unió Democràtica de Catalunya Vice President, Vice President of Government of Catalonia

124. Salvador Sedó i Alabart, International Relations Secretary, Unió Democràtica de Catalunya, Member of the European Parliament

125. Josep Sanchez Llibre MP, Spain www.unwatch.org

UN Watch is a Geneva-based human rights organization founded in 1993 to monitor UN compliance with the principles of its Charter. It is accredited as a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) in Special Consultative Status to the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and as an Associate NGO to the UN Department of Public Information (DPI).