14ymedio, Havana, 17 November 2023 — The political prisoner Félix Navarro was transferred this week from the Agüica prison to the Faustino Pérez hospital in Matanzas. The health of the opposition leader, coordinator of the Pedro Luis Boitel Party for Democracy, had deteriorated in recent weeks, according to family reports.
Navarro’s wife, Sonia Álvarez, showed up this Friday morning at the police station of the municipality of Perico and “asked to speak to a State Security officer,” activist Annia Zamora told 14ymedio. “They told her that he was in the hospital for a medical check-up, but we don’t believe that version. He is in a delicate state of health, is 70 years old and has several chronic diseases.”
Zamora, mother of the political prisoner Sissi Abascal, recommended that people “be attentive and denounce the situation” of the opposition leader. Navarro’s daughter, the Lady of White Sayli Navarro, is being held in La Bellotex prison, in Matanzas, for participating in the popular protests of 11 July 2021 (11J).
Félix Navarro, who was sentenced for the crimes of “assault” and “public disorder” to 9 years in prison just for going out to demonstrate on 11J, has experienced a deterioration of his health, worsened by diabetes and the lung injury he suffers, and added to the several hunger strikes he has carried out in prison to demand his release.
In July and September of this year, the opponent, former prisoner of the 2003 Black Spring, suffered several fainting spells in the Agüica prison
In July and September of this year, the opponent, former prisoner of the 2003 Black Spring, suffered several fainting spells in the Agüica prison. He recently needed his family to take antibiotics to the prison to treat a skin infection, and he still has consequences from COVID-19, which he suffered two years ago.
In July 2021, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) granted precautionary measures in favor of Navarro, noting that he was in a “grave situation and at urgent risk of irreparable damage to his rights in Cuba.”
Relatives and lawyers then told the IACHR about the difficulties they have faced in maintaining contact and visits as well as obtaining information about his detention and health conditions.
After analyzing the allegations of fact and law, the IACHR considered that the information presented showed that Navarro was in a situation of gravity and urgency, and it asked the Government of Cuba to “adopt the necessary measures to protect the right to life” of the opponent, a complaint that has not yet been answered.
Translated by Regina Anavy
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