,,iii  #aafth ,,congress  #ast ,session 
,s4 ,,res4 #ded  ,,in ,,the ,,senate    
,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states  ,december 
#ab1 #bjai,mr4 ,menendez 7for himself1  
,mr4 ,rubio1 ,mr4 ,durbin1 ,mr4 ,cruz1  
,mr4 ,cardin1 ,ms4 ,collins1 and ,mr4   
,kaine7 submitted the following         
resolution2 which was referred to the   
,committee on ,foreign ,relations       
,,resolution  ,calling for the immediate
 release of ,cuban democracy activist   
,jos ,daniel ,ferrer and commending the 
efforts of ,jos ,daniel ,ferrer to      
promote human rights and fundamental    
freedoms in ,cuba4  ,whereas ,jos       
,daniel ,ferrer ,garca is a ,cuban      
democracy and human rights activist who 
has dedicated his life to promoting     
greater political pluralism and respect 
for fundamental freedoms in ,cuba2      
,whereas ,mr4 ,ferrer was born in ,cuba 
on ,july #bi1 #aigj1 in the province of 
,santiago de ,cuba2 ,whereas1 in the    
late #aiijs1 ,mr4 ,ferrer joined the    
,christian ,liberation ,movement        

7,,mcl71 a peaceful political movement  
led by late ,cuban activist ,oswaldo    
,paya2 ,whereas1 through coordination   
with the ,,mcl1 ,mr4 ,ferrer helped lead
 the ,varela ,project1 an initiative to 
collect the signatures of citizens to   
petition the ,government of ,cuba for   
democratic reforms and protections for  
freedom of speech1 freedom of the press1
 and freedom of assembly2 ,whereas1 in  
,march #bjjc1 as part of a series of    
sweeping arrests of #ge democracy       
activists1 ,mr4 ,ferrer was arrested by 
,cuban authorities for his work on the  
,varela ,project and sentenced to #be   
years in prison2 ,whereas1 in ,march    
#bjjd1 ,amnesty ,international declared 
the group of #ge democracy activists1   
including ,mr4 ,ferrer1 to be prisoners 
of conscience and called for their      
immediate and unconditional release2    
,whereas1 in #bjji1 ,mr4 ,ferrer was    
honored with the ,democracy ,award given
 annually by the ,national ,endowment   
for ,democracy2 ,whereas1 in ,march     

#bjaa1 as part of an agreement brokered 
by the ,catholic ,church1 ,mr4 ,ferrer  
refused to abandon his homeland and was 
released from prison to remain in ,cuba2
 ,whereas1 in ,august #bjaa1 ,mr4       
,ferrer founded the ,patriotic ,union of
 ,cuba 7,,unpacu71 a nonviolent         
political movement dedicated to         
promoting human rights1 democratic      
principles1 and fundamental freedoms in 
,cuba2 ,whereas1 on ,june #g1 #bjab1    
,mr4 ,ferrer testified via digital video
 conference at a hearing of the         
,committee on ,foreign ,relations of the
 ,senate2 ,whereas1 since he was        
released from jail in ,march #bjaa1 ,mr4
 ,ferrer has been frequently harassed1  
regularly surveilled1 and repeatedly    
jailed by ,cuban authorities for his    
role in ,,unpacu2 ,whereas1 on ,october 
#a1 #bjai1 ,mr4 ,ferrer was imprisoned  
arbitrarily by ,cuban authorities for   
his leadership of ,,unpacu and outspoken
 advocacy for human rights and          
democratic principles in ,cuba2         

,whereas1 on ,october #a1 #bjai1 ,cuban 
authorities detained #c other members of
 ,,unpacu1 ,fernando ,gonzlez ,vailant1 
,jos ,pupo ,chaveco1 and ,roilan        
,zarraga ,ferrer2 ,whereas a letter from
 ,mr4 ,ferrer was smuggled out of prison
 stating that he had been tortured1     
mistreated1 and denied proper medical   
attention1 and that his life was put in 
danger while in detention2 ,whereas the 
family of ,mr4 ,ferrer has been         
permitted to visit him only twice since 
he was imprisoned arbitrarily on        
,october #a1 #bjai1 and the wife of ,mr4
 ,ferrer reported that she saw evidence 
that he had been physically abused and  
mistreated2 and ,whereas1 on ,november  
#bh1 #bjai1 the ,european ,parliament   
approved a resolution condemning the    
arbitrary detention of ,mr4 ,ferrer and 
calling for his immediate release3 ,now1
 therefore1 be it  ,that the ,senate--  
7#a7 condemns the arbitrary imprisonment
 of leading ,cuban democracy and human  
rights activist ,jos ,daniel ,ferrer and

 calls for his immediate and            
unconditional release2  7#b7 urges      
,cuban authorities to grant ,mr4 ,ferrer
 immediate access to medical care and   
independent legal counsel2  7#c7 calls  
for the immediate and unconditional     
release of all members of the ,patriotic
 ,union of ,cuba 7,,unpacu7 that have   
been arbitrarily imprisoned2  7#d7      
commends ,mr4 ,ferrer for his unwavering
 commitment to advance democratic       
principles1 human rights1 and           
fundamental freedoms in ,cuba2 and  7#e7
 recognizes the important contributions 
of ,,unpacu and all of its members for  
their efforts to promote greater respect
 for democratic principles1 human       
rights1 and fundamental freedoms in     
,cuba4