25 Feb 2010

Cuban dissident dies after hunger strike

10:01 pm on 25 February 2010

Cuban president Raoul Castro has expressed regret over the death of a leading dissident after a long hunger strike.

Orlando Zapata had refused food for 85 days in a protest against Cuban prison conditions.

The 42-year-old was arrested in 2003 in an crackdown on opposition activists.

Amnesty International says a full investigation must be carried out to establish whether ill-treatment played a part in his death.