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Well, Freedom House, according to wikipedia: "U.S. Government funded non-governmental organisation (NGO) that conducts research and advocacy on democracy, poli

Well, Freedom House, according to wikipedia: "U.S. Government funded non-governmental organisation (NGO) that conducts research and advocacy on democracy, political freedom, and human rights Representatives of Cuba said that the organization is a U.S. foreign policy instrument linked to the CIA and "submitted proof of the politically motivated, interventionist activities the NGO (Freedom House) carried out against their Government". They also claimed a lack of criticism of U.S. human rights violations in the annual reports. Cuba also stated that these violations are well documented by other reports, such as those of Human Rights Watch. The Russian representative inquired "why this organization, an NGO which defended human rights, was against the creation of the International Criminal Court." There is so much propaganda regarding this little Caribbean island, that it is wise to carefully consider one's sources.

kristianc 10y ago
It's a little rich of the Russian representative to claim that, given that Russia has just withdrawn from the International Criminal Court. For what it's worth, Human Rights Watch's report about Cuba is also pretty damning: > The Cuban government continues to repress dissent and discourage public criticism. It now relies less on long-term prison sentences to punish its critics, but short-term arbitrary arrests of human rights defenders, independent journalists, and others have increased dramatically in recent years. Other repressive tactics employed by the government include beatings, public acts of shaming, and the termination of employment. As is Amnesty International's: > Despite increasingly open diplomatic relations, severe restrictions on freedoms of expression, association and movement continued. Thousands of cases of harassment of government critics and arbitrary arrests and detentions were reported. And Reporters Sans Frontieres rank Cuba 171 out of 180 countries in the world for Press Freedom.
- alexro 10y ago
  US is not part of International Criminal Court either. So what's the point?
- anigbrowl 10y ago
  As a legal un-person in the US, I have to view this with ironic amusement. A good deal of US economic prosperity seems to depend on the maintenance of a despised underclass, at least according to certain politicians. As a member of said underclass, it's a bit hard to take the moral posturing here very seriously. I'm sure Cuban apologists for their governments' excesses also mouth pieties about their country being 'a nation of laws' and cite legislative formalities as a figleaf for their moral embarrassment.
rospaya 10y ago
Do you want dozens of other sources to confirm it, if Freedom House isn't enough? It's obtuse to claim Cuba has political freedom.

kristianc 10y ago

It's a little rich of the Russian representative to claim that, given that Russia has just withdrawn from the International Criminal Court. For what it's worth, Human Rights Watch's report about Cuba is also pretty damning: > The Cuban government continues to repress dissent and discourage public criticism. It now relies less on long-term prison sentences to punish its critics, but short-term arbitrary arrests of human rights defenders, independent journalists, and others have increased dramatically in recent years. Other repressive tactics employed by the government include beatings, public acts of shaming, and the termination of employment. As is Amnesty International's: > Despite increasingly open diplomatic relations, severe restrictions on freedoms of expression, association and movement continued. Thousands of cases of harassment of government critics and arbitrary arrests and detentions were reported. And Reporters Sans Frontieres rank Cuba 171 out of 180 countries in the world for Press Freedom.

alexro 10y ago
US is not part of International Criminal Court either. So what's the point?
anigbrowl 10y ago
As a legal un-person in the US, I have to view this with ironic amusement. A good deal of US economic prosperity seems to depend on the maintenance of a despised underclass, at least according to certain politicians. As a member of said underclass, it's a bit hard to take the moral posturing here very seriously. I'm sure Cuban apologists for their governments' excesses also mouth pieties about their country being 'a nation of laws' and cite legislative formalities as a figleaf for their moral embarrassment.

rospaya 10y ago

Do you want dozens of other sources to confirm it, if Freedom House isn't enough? It's obtuse to claim Cuba has political freedom.