Freemuse launches international campaign: DOUBTFUL ARREST OF CUBAN MUSICIAN Freemuse requests the Cuban government to reconsider a doubtful court case against controversial rock artist Gorki Luis Águila Carrasco sentenced to four years jail. Gorki Carrasco was formally convicted for drug trafficking and sentenced to four years imprisonment.
However the circumstances leading to his arrest at a rock festival in Pinar del Río in April this year were such that no evidence of drug trafficking was presented. During the brief trial where Mr. Carrasco´s attorney did only have ten minutes to present his client’s case, the Counsel for the Prosecution did not present convincing evidence. In spite of that Mr. Carrasco was convicted to four years of prison and is now being held under harsh conditions that seriously affect his health in Destacamento Cinco in the Provincial Prison of Pinar del Río. Freemuse is now launching an international campaign for the release of Gorki Carrasco. Recently Freemuse was nominated to receive the WOMEX Award 2003. The motivation of the WOMEX committee was: “The WOMEX AWARD 2003 goes to the human rights organisation FREEMUSE for its fight against music censorship. For the fifth time the WOMEX Award is honouring outstanding contributions in the field of world music. Freemuse was founded in 1998 and is dedicated to uphold the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights by funding reports, creating a database of information and taking up the causes of individual musicians in trouble with their governments or other groups. For more information about their work go to http://www.freemuse.org” The Freemuse secretariat will be present at WOMEX in Sevilla from 22-26 October. Freemuse will host two seminars at WOMEX. Yours sincerely Marie Korpe Executive Director, Freemuse |
