45 former dissidents from Central and Eastern Europe, including Czech President Vaclav Havel, former Polish
President Lech Walesa, former Lithuanian President Vytautas Landsbergis, as well as the Ambassador of the Czech
Republic to the United States Alexandr Vondra, expressed their support to four jailed Cuban dissidents in an open
letter. Following is the text of the letter released on November 14.
 

Dear Martha Beatriz Roque, Felix Bonne, Rene Gomez Manzano, Vladimiro Roca,

In these days, we are commemorating the tenth anniversary of the changes that brought the end of the totalitarian regimes in
Central and Eastern Europe and launched the process of democratization in our part of the world.

The results of the past decades show that the path from a closed to an open society can be arduous. In spite of all the
difficulties which have accompanied the transformation of our society, however, we have been constantly aware of the
enormous gift that is freedom. We still keep in mind those fantastic moments, when we realized that communist dictatorships
have truly come to an end and that we have lived to see something many of us did not dare to hope for. The events in which we
were taking part were not a sort of deviation from relentless historical necessity, but a genuine revolution, fundamentally
transforming our lives and bringing us a true liberation.

At this time, we also think of you and we believe that your longing for a free Cuba will also be fulfilled one day. It is really you
-- and not your jailers -- who realize Marti's ideal in practice. It is you -- and not them -- who represent the best revolutionary
traditions of your country, and who -- together with other courageous Cubans, dedicated to the cause of liberty, of inalienability
of human rights and human dignity -- are the guarantee of a better future. Please accept our admiration, our thanks and our
assurance that we are with you in your difficult situation. If our transformation experiences and the lessons we learned can serve
as an inspiration -- or as good or bad examples -- for Cuba, when the time comes, we are ready to help you, in a spirit of
solidarity.

With all good wishes and best regards,
Your friends, former fellow dissidents of East-Central Europe.
 
 Rudolf Battek, Czech Republic
 Marek Benda, Czech Republic
 Martin Benda, Czech Republic
 Larisa Bogorazova, Russia
 John Bok, Czech Rebublic
 Yelena Bonner, Russia
 Bogdan Borusewicz, Poland
 Jan Carnogursky, Slovakia
 Jiri Dienstbier, Czech Republic
 Wladyslaw Frasyniuk, Poland
 Sergej Grigorianc, Russia
 Ivan M. Havel, Czech Republic
 Vaclav Havel, Czech Republic
 Michal Horacek, Czech Republic
 Zbigniew Janas, Poland
 Zdenek Jicinsky, Czech Republic
 Janos Kis, Hungary
 Michael Kocab, Czech Republic
 Sergej Kovaljov, Russia
 Ferenc Koszeg, Hungary
 Eda Kriseova, Czech Republic
 Jiri Krizan, Czech Republic
 Jacek Kuron, Poland
 Miroslav Kusy, Slovakia
 Vytautas Landsbergis, Lithuania
 Jan Langos, Slovakia
 Ladislav Lis, Czech Republic
 Jan Litynski, Poland
 Tadensz Mazuwiecki, Poland
 Adam Michnik, Poland
 Dana Nemcova, Czech Republic
 Petr Oslzly, Czech Republic
 Matin Palous, Czech Republic
 Radim Palous, Czech Republic
 Alina Pierikowska, Poland
 Petr Pithart, Czech Republic
 Tomas Pstross, Czech Repubic
 Venek Silhan, Czech Republic
 Martin Simecka, Slovakia
 G. Miklos Tamas, Hungary
 Petr Uhl, Czech Republic
 Alexandr Vondra, Czech Republic
 Lech Walesa, Poland
 Jerzy Wierchowicz, Poland
 Henry Wojec, Poland

 Authenticity of the signatures guaranteed by Martin Palous, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Czech Republic