According to information provided to by the dissident Guillermo Farinas, Juan Wilfredo Soto died Sunday in Santa Clara in central Cuba, three days after being arrested and beaten by police. Aged 46, he succumbed to his injuries in a hospital where he was taken Thursday by police who arrested him. Another dissident, Elizardo Sanchez called for "an independent investigation of the Government to clarify" the death of Soto, in his related "to the beatings he received" from the police.
The Cuban government, which considers the dissidents as "mercenaries" financed by the United States, did not immediately respond to the charges. According to Mr. Farinas, Juan Wilfredo Soto, who suffered health problems, was "struck" and "handcuffed" by the police after refusing to show his identity papers.
Arrested three times and charged with disclosure of "enemy propaganda", he was taken to a police station. The head of this post, who knew of his health problems, "he was sent immediately to the hospital," Farinas said. "The doctors said they could not guarantee the survival of Mr. Soto unless an operation.
Mr. Soto died while doctors were going to operate. We told the family he had died of pancreatitis, "reported Mr. Farinas. Mr. Farinas, a sociologist for 48 years which the European Parliament awarded the Sakharov Prize in 2010, continued for 135 days a hunger strike to demand the release of jailed dissidents.
The death of Mr. Soto comes 15 months after that of imprisoned dissident Orlando Zapata, died after a hunger strike to demand a better prison conditions. His gesture was instrumental in opening the dialogue between the government and the Church, which allowed the release of over a hundred prisoners. 
The Cuban government, which considers the dissidents as "mercenaries" financed by the United States, did not immediately respond to the charges. According to Mr. Farinas, Juan Wilfredo Soto, who suffered health problems, was "struck" and "handcuffed" by the police after refusing to show his identity papers.
Arrested three times and charged with disclosure of "enemy propaganda", he was taken to a police station. The head of this post, who knew of his health problems, "he was sent immediately to the hospital," Farinas said. "The doctors said they could not guarantee the survival of Mr. Soto unless an operation.
Mr. Soto died while doctors were going to operate. We told the family he had died of pancreatitis, "reported Mr. Farinas. Mr. Farinas, a sociologist for 48 years which the European Parliament awarded the Sakharov Prize in 2010, continued for 135 days a hunger strike to demand the release of jailed dissidents.
The death of Mr. Soto comes 15 months after that of imprisoned dissident Orlando Zapata, died after a hunger strike to demand a better prison conditions. His gesture was instrumental in opening the dialogue between the government and the Church, which allowed the release of over a hundred prisoners.
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