Human Rights Developments

Defending Human Rights

The Role of the International Community

The Cuban government continued its systematic harassment and repression of human rights defenders. The authorities routinely used surveillance, phone tapping, and intimidation in its efforts to restrict independent monitoring of the government's human rights practices. In some instances, they employed arbitrary searches, evictions, travel restrictions, politically-motivated dismissals from employment, threats and other forms of harassment against local activists.

The Cuban government denied international human rights and humanitarian monitors access to the country. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) had not been allowed to conduct prison visits in Cuba since 1989, making Cuba the only country in the region to deny access to the ICRC. Human Rights Watch had not been allowed to send any representatives to monitor human rights conditions in Cuba since 1995.