Cuba to release key dissident, nine others: Church

The Cuban government has agreed to release a prominent political dissident and allow him to stay on the communist-ruled island, and free another nine prisoners jailed for violent crimes, says the Catholic Church.

Oscar Elias Biscet, a doctor arrested during a 2003 crackdown against dissidents, was arrested during an internationally criticised roundup of regime opponents in 2003. He had refused Havana's offer to go into exile in Spain and has been serving a 25-year sentence.

During his incarceration, Biscet was awarded the US Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2007 by then-US president George W. Bush.

Under a deal negotiated with the Catholic Church, President Raul Castro has authorised the release of 52 political prisoners out of a group of 75, arrested during the police roundup of dissidents eight years ago. After Biscet's release, only three of them will remain behind bars.

Castro's government considers dissidents as "mercenaries" on Washington's payroll.

Another nine prisoners the Archdiocese of Havana said Castro's government would free were initially convicted on weapons, terror, hijacking and other state security crimes. They will go into exile in Spain, joining other recently released Cuban prisoners.

Their names are Rene Amor, Jorge Adan, Fidel Rangel, Osvell Valle, Randol Roca, Juan Rodriguez, Douglas Faxas, Carlos Diaz and Armando Alcantara, the church said.

They are prisoners convicted of activities deemed a danger to the state, but are not considered political prisoners by the government insofar as they were not activists with a political group opposing the only one-party communist regime in the Americas.

According to the banned but accepted Cuban Commission for Human Rights and National Reconciliation, Amor was sentenced in 2005 to eight years in prison for contempt of the state, Rangel got 25 years in 2003 for terrorism and Rodriguez was handed a two-year sentence in 2009 for public disorder.

Faxas got 20 years in 2000 for piracy and illegal possession of weapons, while Diaz was sentenced to 19 years and six months in 1992 for attempting to leave the country illegally, evasion and contempt, it added.

The CCDHRN did not provide details about the other four prisoners.