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Cuba's government remains as repressive under Raúl Castro as it was under his brother Fidel, according to the first in-depth report on the island's human rights since the younger Castro took power.

Titled ``New Castro, Same Cuba,'' the report by Human Rights Watch (HRW) details a skein of cruel pressures on dissidents, relatives and friends that belie initial hopes Raúl Castro would be different.

``Castro inherited a system of abusive laws and institutions. . . . Rather than dismantle this repressive machinery, Raúl Castro has kept it firmly in place and fully active,'' said the report, released Wednesday in Washington.