Former Cuban president Fidel Castro accused the United States Friday of torturing a Cuban spy, dpa reported.
Speaking at a meeting of the country's Union of Communist Youth, Castro said US authorities have tortured convicted Cuban agent Gerardo Hernadez, despite his poor state of health, the state-run website cubadebate.cu reported.
Hernandez is part of the so-called Cuban Five who have been sentenced to long prison terms in the US in 2001 for espionage and conspiracy to commit murder.
Havana has long demanded their release.
Castro said Hernandez had been placed in solitary confinement in his Victorville, California prison, which amounted to "torture."
He also said Cuba was being pressured to release spies, who were not being mistreated, a possible reference to US contractor Alan Gross, who was arrested in December 2009 and accused handing mobile phones out to dissidents on orders of the US government.
No charges have been brought against Gross, but Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez accused Gross of having committed severe crimes.
Cuba's parliament convenes Sunday for one of its two full sessions a year, set to discuss the country's dire economic situation.
Castro said the meeting should also discuss Washington's "imperialist" policies in Latin America and the Middle East.
The appearance at the communist youth meeting was Castro's eight public appearance in recent weeks, after the 83-year-old spent almost four years in virtual seclusion after an illness.
Among the audience was former castaway Elian Gonzalez, 16, subject of a fierce custody row between Cuba and US authorities in 2000.