'Dissidence amounts to treason'

The "crime" committed by most of the 75 dissidents who were incarcerated in 2003 was the fact that the[y] collected signatures for the Varela project, which was started by Paya. Twice already, the group has collected more than 10,000 signatures in favor of a referendum on Cuba's political system. According to the constitution, this number of signatures obliges the Cuban government to conduct the plebi[s]cite. But the activists were thrown into prison and convicted of treason, receiving sentences of up to 20 years. Prison conditions in Cuba are bad...

On the difficulties faced by dissidents in Cuba. (See also these posts by Harry and Shuggy.)