EFE (via 14ymedio), Mexico City, 9 August 2024 — The Center of Documentation of Cuban Prisons recorded 130 complaints of repressive acts against 94 inmates in Cuban prisons in July, according to a report released Thursday by the independent platform.
The NGO, based in Mexico, said that of the total number of complaints from 40 Cuban prisons, “108 involve some form of harassment or intimidation of inmates, 42 relate to health issues and poor medical care, and 15 to criminal and administrative proceedings.”
In addition, it recorded 11 complaints of beatings and physical torture, 11 transfers within penitentiary establishments or other prisons, plus 27 other types of violations of prisoners’ rights, sanctioned in international instruments.
The cases of four political prisoners were cited as “victims of the largest number of harassment actions
Specifically, the Center cited the case of four political prisoners as “victims of the greatest number of acts of harassment,” and said that of the 94 prisoners whose rights were violated, eight are women and 86 are men.
The provinces with the highest number of reports were Havana (30) and Mayabeque (14), in the west of the island, and Camagüey (21) in the center-east.
The penitentiary centers that appear in the report with the highest number of violations are the Havana Combinado del Este prison (18), the Guanajay prison (8) in the Artemisa province (west), as well as the prison in the eastern province of Las Tunas and the prison in the Quivicán municipality, in Mayabeque (both with 7).
The report detailed that the violations of prisoners’ rights were committed by “22 prison officials, six judges, five State Security officials, two police officers who acted as witnesses in a political trial, and one inmate who harasses political prisoners under orders from the authorities.”
The organization also reported the cases of 27 inmates who have in common the lack of medication and medical care.
The NGO’s monthly report stated that health problems in prisons are aggravated by “poor food” and the proliferation of diseases such as Oropouche and Dengue Fevers (both transmitted by mosquito bites), tuberculosis, diarrhea, insect infestations, contaminated water and poor structural conditions.”
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