Brussels, 22/06/2004 (Agence Europe) - Mauritzio Turco MEP on the Lista Bonino protested in a press statement at the rejection of his request to send a European delegation to Cuba "before the end of the legislature" to visit prisons where people were convicted during the "summary trail of 10 April 2003". The Italian Radical also sent Romano Prodi his request, supported by 124 MEPs. The press statement also points out that he had received a negative response from the president of the European Commission "due to the reaction from the Cuban government to EU initiatives for Cuban dissidents". The MEP points out that this reaction consisted in the suspension of all contacts with the Cuban government and most Member States' embassies, as well as with the European Commission Delegation. Turco added that Prodi had explained to him that before making such a visit, it would be necessary to re-establish political dialogue between the EU and Cuba. In his response to the MEP, Prodi also indicated that neither the International Committee of the Red Cross nor human rights organisations had ever had access to detention centre structures where political prisoners are often sent in Cuba and that the Red Cross had been able to visit Cuban prisons for the last time in 1989.