Cuba frees dissidents

Cuban authorities have released from jail two popular dissidents who had requested their continued detention until other opposition leaders were freed.



Hector Maseda and Angel Moya were freed Saturday, and are the latest opposition figures to be released from jail following the 2003 crackdown of 75 dissidents.



A week ago, the Raul Castro administration agreed to release Moya, but he had refused, stating that he preferred ailing dissidents to be set free first.



Maseda also declined his early release, urging that he be granted pardon rather than parole.



However, prison authorities said that they could no longer keep them jailed.