English Translations of Cubans Writing From the Island
14ymedio, Havana, 11 May 2022 — Four July 11th (11J) demonstrators in Santiago de Cuba have been sentenced to between nine and five years in prison, while a fifth, who was part of the same file, was released with a fine of 3,000 pesos. The trial was held five months ago and some of the defendants … Continue reading “Up to Nine Years in Prison for July 11th (11J) Protestors in Santiago de Cuba”
14ymedio, Havana, March 14, 2022–The Prosecutor’s Office of Bayamo, in the province of Granma, scheduled for last Friday the sentencing of the July 11th protesters processed in the last known trial. For the group of 17 people, accused of assault, resistance, public disorder, contempt and damages caused by alleged “acts of vandalism” against military personnel and … Continue reading “Prosecutors Seek Up to 16 Years in Prison for July 11th (11J) Protesters in Cuba”
14ymedio, Havana, 27 December 2021 — They did not belong to any opposition organization within the island nor, as the official media claimed in a foreseeable smear campaign, were they instigated by the “enemy” from outside. Simply, together with thousands of compatriots in dozens of cities throughout the island, they decided to go out into the streets … Continue reading “The 11J Prisoners Detained for Shouting Freedom in Cuba”
14ymedio, Havana, 18 November 2021 — The Lady in White Sissi Abascal Zamora was sentenced this Thursday to six years in prison for her participation in the protests on July 11 (11J) on the island. Abascal, who is also a member of the Pedro Luis Boitel Party for Democracy, was accused of the alleged crimes … Continue reading “Cuban Lady in White Sentenced to Six Years in Prison for Participating in the 11J (11 July) Protests”
14ymedio, Havana, 17 November 2021 — Daniela Rojo, mother of two young children and moderator of the Archipiélago platform, architect of the initiative for the 15N (15 November), is missing for the fifth day. The young woman was already been detained for almost a month for participating in the protests on July 11. “The Istanbul Protocol (UN, 2004) strictly prohibits … Continue reading “More than 650 Detainees from the July 11 (11J) Protests in Cuba Are Still in Prison”
Dear Commission Members: My name is Laritza Diversent. I am the director of Cubalex. Working in collaboration with the group Justicia 11J [11 July], we have recorded the detentions of 1,130 people since July 11, 572 of whom remain incarcerated. Several people who have been released report incidents of torture and mistreatment including beatings, verbal … Continue reading “Laritza Diversent Petitions Inter-American Commission on Human Rights on Behalf of Cubans Detained on July 11 / Cubalex”
Cubalex, Laritza Diversent, 2 September 2021 — It is irresponsible (as a professional and as a teacher) for the “Doctor of Legal Sciences” Mayda Goite Pierre to give her opinion on things she doesn’t know about or hasn’t even studied. If silence is bad, a cover-up is worse; her opinions misinform the public and confuse … Continue reading “A Doctor of Law Lies in the Official Media / Cubalex”
14ymedio, Luz Escobar, Havana, 3 September 2021 — The leader of the Ladies in White, Berta Soler, joined the fast of other dissidents on Thursday in support of the opponents José Daniel Ferrer and Félix Navarro, both former prisoners of the Black Spring of 2003, who were arrested on July 11, the day of the … Continue reading “Cuba’s Ladies in White Show Solidarity With the 11J (July 11th) Detainees”
CUBLEX, 7 August 2021 — On August 17, Decree-Law No. 35 (DL35) was published in the Official Gazette: “On Telecommunications, Information and Communication Technologies, and the Use of the Radioelectric Spectrum” and Resolution 105 “National Action Model for the response to Cybersecurity incidents.” What are the implications of these new rules? Do they criminalize freedom … Continue reading “Cubalex Lawyers Give Their Opinion on Decree-Law 35, Recently Approved by Cuba’s Council of State and Council of Ministers”
Cubalex, 23 July 2021 — Anyelo Troya’s* summary trial took place on July 19, 2021, and it was done through the legal figure called atestado directo (summary trial without witnesses/evidence). Troya was the defendant in a kangaroo trial where the most elementary principles of the criminal procedures and due process guarantees were violated. They had … Continue reading “Cubalex’s Analysis of Filmmaker Anyelo Troya’s Case and Sentencing / Cubalex”
14ymedio, Havana, 30 March 2024 — The NGO Prisoners Defenders (PD) reported on Saturday that, according to its record, 41 people were arrested in Cuba after the protests on 17 March 2024 (’17M’), of which six were later released. The provinces of Holguín and Santiago de Cuba, with 13 and 12 arrested, top the list, … Continue reading “Cubans Arrested on March 17 Increases to 41, According to Prisoners Defenders”
EFE (via 14ymedio) Washington D.C., 26 March 2024 — Nine NGOs criticized Cuba for rejecting 28 of the recommendations in the Universal Periodic Review (UPR), which, among other issues, have to do with political prisoners and the repression of dissent. The nine groups that sent reports for the UPR – including Cubalex, Article 19, Justice … Continue reading “Nine NGOs Criticize Havana’s Rejection of UN Recommendations”
14ymedio, Havana, March 19, 2024 — There have now been at least eleven people arrested during this weekend’s protests in several places in Cuba. According to the legal organization Cubalex, in El Cobre (Santiago de Cuba) Oriesel García, Karel Artiles and another man whose identity is not known were arrested on Sunday. In Bayamo, Justicia … Continue reading “At Least Five People Have Been Arrested in the Latest Protests in Cuba”
14ymedio, Havana, 4 August 2023 — The Cuban Conflict Observatory (OCC) registered a total of 589 protests on the island in July. The figure, which represents an increase of 124% compared to the same month of the previous year, exceeded by 175 incidents than those counted in June of 2022. Except for the months of October … Continue reading “NGO Reports that July 2023 is the Month with the Second Most Protests in Cuba Since July 2021”
14ymedio, Havana, March 31, 2023–Sulmira Martínez Pérez, arrested on January 10th for announcing her intention to protest in the streets, was transferred on March 17 to Guatao prison in Havana, according to Mónica Baró who cited the 21-year-old’s mother, Norma Pérez. “Norma says her daughter is traumatized, that in Villa Marista [prison] during the visits … Continue reading “Arrested in January for Calling for ‘Another July 11th’ in Cuba, Sulmira Martínez is Taken to Guatao Prison”
