Urgent: Cuban Police Detain the Rapper ‘El Osorbo’ and Violate His Rights / Cubalex

The Cuban rapper Maykel Castillo Perez, known as “El Osorbo.” (Archive photo)

Cubalex, 5 August 2020– The rapper Maykel Castillo Perez, known as “El Osorbo,” was arrested on August 3rd in El Cristo Park, between Teniente Rey and Villagas in Havana Vieja. It happened around 11:00 at night when several plainclothes state officers, and also uniformed ones, took him in a patrol car to the police station in Calle Zanjas.

On August 4th, his detention was contested in the Havana Tribunal Provincial, by way of a constitutional application for Habeas Corpus, which is supposed to be resolved within 72 hours of its presentation.

On the same day, his wife went to the police station in Calle Zanja, and the police officer (registered number 06194) denied her permission to give him some toiletries. The official claimed that only State Security is authorised to take any decisions on Maykel’s case.

When she insisted that she wished to speak to whoever was denying her her rights, the officers informed her that Castillo Perez had been moved to San Miguel de Padron police station in the capital

Today, August 5th, 2020, his wife and two friends of the artist, Anamely Ramos and Omara Ruiz Urquiola, went to the San Miguel de Padron police station. They were not informed why Maykel had been detained, nor on what supposed charge. They explained that it was a matter of “CR”, an abbreviation used to refer to “Counter-revolutionaries”, and that “it is a problem for State Security”. Nevertheless, it is the police who are violating his rights as a detainee.

Cubalex has the registered numbers of the officers who are denying Maykel his rights as a detainee. We would remind you that compliance with an order is no justification when the order is illegal.  You need to remember that, because we are gathering evidence against you as violators of human rights.

Translated by GH