International Rescue Committee (IRC)

International Rescue Committee to resettle family of late Cuban dissident Orlando Zapata Tamayo in Miami

Miami - 07 Jun 2011 -

The International Rescue Committee has been designated the sponsoring resettlement organization of the family of Orlando Zapata Tamayo – a prominent Cuban human rights activist and political prisoner who died last year in Havana after a lengthy hunger strike.

His parents, Reina Tamayo and Jose Ortiz, along with 11 other family members were granted sanctuary in the United States and are scheduled to fly from Cuba to Miami Thursday afternoon, June 9.

“We’ll be helping the family as they get on their feet and start a new chapter of their lives,” says Suzy Cop, who oversees IRC resettlement programs for newly arrived refugees in Miami. “We’re setting up apartments for the family in Miami and will also be assisting with food, clothing, furniture, household supplies, English classes, job placement and other essentials.”

Amnesty International declared Zapata a prisoner of conscience after he was arrested in 2003 in a crackdown on opposition groups by Cuban authorities. He was initially sentenced to three years in jail, but his term was extended to 36 years. He died in February 2010 after fasting for more than 80 days to protest prison conditions.