Cubalex, March 23, 2026 — Cubalex reports that the Provincial People’s Court of Artemisa is refusing to receive, within the established legal term, the appeal filed in the framework of the Habeas Corpus procedure in favor of Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara.
Today, the person responsible for filing the appeal went to the Court on time, but the document was not received on the grounds that the relevant official was unavailable. They were told to return the following day.
For Cubalex’s legal team, this action is legally inadmissible. The deadline for filing the appeal expires today. Forcing its submission on a later date places the appellant outside the time limit, which in practice implies the loss of the right to appeal and constitutes a form of obstruction of access to justice.
According to Cuban procedural law, the Provincial Court of Artemisa has the obligation to receive the appeal filed within the legal term; incorporate it into the corresponding file and elevate it to the Supreme People’s Court (TSP) for processing.
The refusal to receive the document not only violates the right to due process, but also reinforces a pattern already documented in this case: the use of formal mechanisms to block effective access to Habeas Corpus.
This fact adds to the irregularities already identified in the Order dated March 12, 2026, by which the Court rejected the request for alleged lack of competence, without legal basis or indication of the competent body.
The original Habeas Corpus petition is based on the fact that Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara has fully complied with the imposed sanction, so his continued imprisonment constitutes an illegal deprivation of liberty.
The current refusal to accept the appeal aggravates this situation and constitutes an additional violation of basic procedural guarantees.
Cubalex demands the immediate receipt of the appeal filed within the deadline; the effective processing of the procedure; the referral of the file to the Supreme People’s Court; and the cessation of practices that obstruct access to justice.
It also warns that these events will be documented and presented to international human rights protection mechanisms as evidence of denial of justice and restriction of Habeas Corpus in Cuba.