EU 'deeply regrets' death of Cuban hunger striker
(BRUSSELS) - The EU Commission on Wednesday voiced deep regret at the death of leading Cuban political prisoner Orlando Zapata, who died after a long hunger strike, calling on Havana to improve human rights.
"We deeply regret the death of Orlando Zapata and offer our condolences to his family," EU Commission spokesman John Clancy said.
Medical officials in Cuba announced that the 42-year-old dissident had died in hospital Tuesday, 85 days into a hunger strike, as fellow dissidents blamed the government for his death.
The European Union continues to call on the Cuban government "to improve effectively the human rights situation in the country by releasing unconditionally all political prisoners," Clancy told AFP.
"These questions are discussed at the highest level in the framework of the EU-Cuba political dialogue and remain a key priority for the EU," he added.
Jailed since 2003 and deemed a prisoner of conscience by Amnesty International, Zapata had blamed his already deteriorating health on harsh conditions inside Cuba's jails.
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