• Submitted by: manso
• Politics and Government
• 04 / 23 / 2011

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HAVANA (AFP) – An anti-Castro Cuban militant jailed for his role in an armed operation against the communist government in 1996 has been released, activists said Friday.

Efrain Rivas, 50, was released Thursday after serving 15 years of a 20-year term for "activities against state security" and "terrorism," said the Cuban Commission for Human Rights and National Reconciliation.

Rivas was arrested in 1996 with two Cuban accomplices while leading "an armed operation against the Cuban government" at the tourist resort of Varadero, 150 kilometers (93 miles) east of Havana, said the banned but tolerated CCDHRN, which classifies Rivas as a political prisoner.

Rivas was arrested along with Marcelino Rodriguez and Yoel Cano when they fired shots from a small boat coming from the US state of Florida, located 145 kilometers (90 miles) north of the Cuban island. They were targeting a Spanish-owned hotel.

Rodriguez and Cano were sentenced to 25 and 20 years in prison, respectively, and remain behind bars.

CCDHRN spokesman Elizardo Sanchez said there are "at least a dozen" prisoners convicted of similar crimes who are overdue for early release.

Rivas left prison in the wake of an agreement between the government and the Catholic Church for the release of dissidents arrested in 2003.

The Catholic Church last year struck a deal with the state to have the group's remaining 52 imprisoned activists freed, in the biggest prisoner release since President Raul Castro formally took power in 2008 from his brother and revolutionary hero Fidel.

Even though the 75 dissidents have all been freed.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20110422/wl_afp/cubarightsdissidentrelease_2...