Six MSPs, including the Scottish Labour deputy leader, have signed a parliamentary motion praising the "great achievements" of Fidel Castro's regime.

The motion was put forward at Holyrood by Labour MSP Elaine Smith. The Central Scotland MSP heads Holyrood's cross-party group on Cuba.

Smith and Rowley were joined by fellow Labour MSPs David Stewart and Richard Leonard in their commemoration of the late dictator.

Two SNP MSPs - Richard Lyle and Colin Beattie - have also backed the motion.

The Cuban dictator governed the Caribbean island from 1959 until he passed control of the regime to his brother, Raul, in 2008. Castro died aged 90 last week.

The motion reads: "That the parliament sends its condolences on the loss of Fidel Castro (1926-2016) to his family and the people of Cuba.

"Respects the nine days of national mourning undertaken by the people of Cuba to mark the passing of an icon of socialism and considers that during Fidel Castro's time in office, from 1959 to 2008, Cuba built world-class health and education systems and decreased poverty, despite suffering economically for decades under a United States blockade.

"Further notes what it sees as Cuba's impressive record of international solidarity abroad, including sending medical workers to the world's poorest regions, leading the fight against Ebola and providing the largest medical contingent after the 2010 Haitian earthquake disaster.

"Recalls the words of the late Nelson Mandela, when referring to Cuban volunteers driving South African apartheid forces out of Angola, that 'the Cuban internationalists have made a contribution to African independence, freedom and justice unparalleled for its principled and selfless character'.

"Recognises what it sees as Fidel Castro's individual contribution as a champion of global social justice and his maxim of 'not an inch to imperialism', and believes that his legacy and spirit will live on in the many great achievements of the small socialist state of Cuba, teaching and inspiring future generations and showing that another world is possible."

The Cuba Archive project estimates 7193 people died at the hands of the Castro government after the revolution in 1959.

The project's president Maria Werlau told the Miami Herald: "Those are the ones we've documented, using either information released by the government or the testimony of eyewitnesses, not hearsay or guesswork.

"We know the numbers are much, much higher, but this is what we can actually document so far."

Castro also gained notoriety for his regime's persecution of homosexuals in the 1960s and 1970s, which included sending gay people to forced labour camps.

Labour's shadow foreign secretary Emily Thornberry will attend Castro's funeral in the Cuban capital on Tuesday.

Party leader Jeremy Corbyn said for "all his flaws" the dictator will be remembered as a "champion of social justice".

In its latest report on human rights abuses in Cuba, Amnesty International said: "Reports continued of government critics, including journalists and human rights activists, being routinely subjected to arbitrary arrests and short-term detention for exercising their rights to freedom of expression, association, assembly and movement.

"The Cuban Commission for Human Rights and National Reconciliation (CCDHRN) documented more than 8600 politically motivated detentions of government opponents and activists during the year."

The Scottish Conservatives said the MSPs whos igned the motion should be "ashamed" of themselves.

Annie Wells, the Scottish Conservative equalities spokeswoman said: "It is appalling to see left-wing politicians, including the deputy leader of the Scottish Labour party, lionise a man who jailed and murdered his opponents and put gay people in concentration camps.

"If these crimes were carried by a political leader on the right, Labour and SNP politicians would be the first in the queue to condemn. Because it is Fidel Castro, they are happy to ignore the brutality of his regime.

"These Labour and SNP members should be ashamed of their total hypocrisy."

Smith however defended Cuba's record on gay rights. The Labour MSP points out that the island's regime legalised same-sex relationships in 1979, one year before Scotland did.

The MSP said: "The Tories might care to remember that Cuba legalised same sex relationships before Scotland did, during Fidel Castro's time in office and have a vibrant LGBT rights campaign led by his niece, Mariel Castro.

"Countries, including our own, change and evolve over time and the ignorance about Cuba and LGBT rights over recent years is astonishing.

"A dignified silence instead of an ignorant, ill-informed attack from the Tories would have been more fitting of their office. But I do note that the Tory Government is sending a representative to the funeral to convey condolences on behalf of the UK."