The Spanish European Union presidency on Thursday deplored the death of Cuban dissident Orlando Zapata, with Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero urging Havana to "free prisoners of conscience and respect human rights," according to dpa. Zapatero described it as a "fundamental requirement," saying he spoke as rotating president of the EU, which needed to be at the forefront in defending human rights. The premier was speaking at a meeting of heads of EU countries' parliamentary foreign affairs commissions in Madrid. Zapata died Tuesday after more than 80 days on hunger strike. Zapatero had initially refrained from criticizing Cuba directly, prompting criticism from media close to the conservative opposition. Other Spanish government representatives, however, immediately urged Cuba to respect human rights. Spain has said it will encourage the EU to upgrade its relations with Cuba, arguing that the union's current policy of strictly linking dialogue with human rights has yielded few results.
