Below is the text of an appeal signed by a large number of prominent world intellectuals, artists and political figures protesting US attempts to push anti-Cuba resolutions at the UNCHR The 61st session of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights takes place from 14 March to 22 April in Geneva, where the United States government will once again try to pass a resolution against Cuba. This is a manipulated and selective treatment of the topic aimed to justify the intensification of the policy of blockade and aggression by the world's sole superpower against a small country, and is in violation of international law. The commission must represent every UN member state and ensure respect for the rights of all women and men worldwide. It is significant, however, that during last year's sessions in the commission it was impossible to evaluate -- or even debate -- the atrocious violations of human rights taking place in US prisons in Abu Ghraib, Iraq, and Guantanamo, Cuba. The US government has no moral authority to establish itself as a judge of human rights in Cuba, where there is not a single case of missing persons, torture or extra judicial killing and where internationally recognised high levels of health, education and culture have been achieved -- despite the US-imposed blockade. We request the countries represented in the commission not to allow it to be used to legitimise the Bush administration's anti-Cuba position. This is a critical time for Cuba since an eventual escalation of Washington's aggressive policies may have very serious consequences. We also call on journalists, writers, artists, professors, school teachers and social activists to address their governments and ask them to pressure the US to stop their attacks against Cuba. Signatories to the appeal include: Danielle Mitterand, political activist and widow of former French president François Mitterand, France; Eduardo Galeano, writer and political activist, Uruguay; Harry Belafonte, singer and actor, USA; Howard Zinn, university professor, writer and political activist, USA; Ignacio Ramonet, writer and editor in chief of Le Monde Diplomatique, co- founder of the French branch of the anti-globalisation movement Attaq; Jose Saramago, literature Nobel laureate, Portugal; Nadine Gordimer, literature Nobel laureate, South Africa; Ramsey Clark, former US attorney-general, writer and political activist, USA; Rigoberta Menchu, physicist and peace Nobel laureate, Guatemala; Tareq Ali, writer and journalist, England.
