Updated

Cuban dissidents are expressing increasing concern about the detention of a man who was part of an earlier release of prisoners negotiated by the Roman Catholic Church.

De facto dissident spokesman Elizardo Sanchez said Wednesday that Jose Daniel Ferrer has been jailed since April 2 in the eastern city of Santiago for unexplained reasons.

Ferrer was among dozens of political prisoners freed last year under a deal with the church. Most went abroad, but Ferrer and some others stayed.

Several have been detained briefly since their release, but none for as long as Ferrer and Sanchez says he's "very concerned" about his continued detention after three weeks.

Now 41, Ferrer was among 75 prominent intellectuals, opposition leaders and activists arrested in 2003 on charges including treason. They deny the allegations.