HAVANA — Opposition activists and independent journalists in Communist-run Cuba said state security and police stopped them from leaving their homes on Tuesday to prevent them marking or reporting on international Human Rights Day. Some activists had planned to observe the day by calling publicly for the liberation of one of the top opposition leaders in the one-party country, Jose Daniel Ferrer, whom Cuba calls a U.S.-financed counterrevolutionary. Cuban authorities arrested Ferrer, 49, more than two months ago. While dissidents complain they are frequently subjected to short-term detentions to intimidate them, his is the first long-term arrest of a high profile government critic in years. Human rights activists say it reflects a broader increase in repression as the country deals with an awakening of civil awareness thanks to expanded access to the internet and a hike in U.S. sanctions.

Source: International New York Times December 10, 2019 19:18 UTC