BRUSSELS, Sept. 9 (UPI) -- The European Union issued a demand Tuesday that Fidel Castro's Cuba desist from its current political crackdown, or face further isolation.
Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini, whose country currently holds the E.U. presidency, told the European Parliament the human rights situation on the Caribbean island continues to deteriorate.
"We ... do hope that we will see a change of attitude from the Cuban side," Frattini was quoted by the Latin American Post. "The Cuban government has not taken a single positive step to meet the goals that Europe has set and, in fact, the situation of human rights has worsened yet further."
In a resolution by the E.U. assembly posted Tuesday, the parliament calls on Cuba to "take all necessary steps to ensure the immediate release of political prisoners."
The 15-nation E.U. previously decided to reduce high-level governmental visits and participation in cultural events in Cuba after the arrest of dissidents and the executions of three ferry boat hijackers last spring.
