Human rights defender prevented from participating in IACHR event

Dora Leonor Mesa Crespo, a human rights defender and a director of the Cuban Association for Development of Early Childhood Education, was oficially invited by Inter-American Comission on Human Rights (IACHR) to take part in 167 Period od Sessions of IACHR in Bogota, Columbia from February 26 till March 2. On Terminal 3 at Jose Marti International Airport, when she was about to board the plane CM-231 Copa Airlines to Bogota, the immigration authorities annouced her, that she was banned to leave the country. When Dora asked for the reason, the officer told her, that they do not know why certain measures are taken, and to learn more, she has to turn to the Citizen Support Office located at the municipality of Plaza de Revolucion. Then the officer returned her the passport and invalidated her flight ticket.