In response to the announcement by the Speaker of the Cuban Parliament that all political prisoners are to be released, Markus Löning, the Federal Government Commissioner for Human Rights Policy and Humanitarian Aid at the Federal Foreign Office, issued the following statement today (22 July):

“I call upon the Cuban Government to immediately release all political prisoners, as announced by the Speaker of the Cuban Parliament, Ricardo Alarcón.

But that alone is not enough: the Cuban Government must initiate a radical turnaround in its policies. It must finally respect human rights and allow its citizens to live in dignity and to determine their own future. This includes ensuring that the people of Cuba are able to freely elect their government.”