14ymedio, Havana, 21 April 2023 — Activist Yasmany González Valdés was arrested this Thursday at his house in Central Havana and transferred to the State Security headquarters in the capital, Villa Marista. His wife, Ilsa Ramos, confirmed this on Friday to 14ymedio.
Hours earlier, the Observatory for Cultural Rights (ODC) had reported in a Twitter thread that the arrest of the young man, also known as Libre Libre, took place after a “violent search”. Ramos specified that “around 15 people” participated, taking with them “a mechanic’s overalls, a brush and a mobile phone”.
The Observatory had recalled in its networks that González Valdés was summoned at the beginning of April to the Zanja police station, where he was accused of being involved with the group that calls itself El Nuevo Directorio (END), which claimed a new action against the regime, writing “No to the PCC” this Thursday, on the facade of the emblematic building at 7 Humboldt Street.
“They tried to leave keep in custody for non-payment of fines that he had already paid”
“On that occasion, they tried to frame him and link him to the Nuevo Directorio Group“, continues the ODC, “for which they did graphological tests”. In addition, “they tried to leave him in custody for non-payment of fines that he had already paid”.
The Observatory denounces that, in recent months, González Valdés has been “summoned, detained, fined and threatened” for his publications on social networks, accused of violating Decree Law 370. “On several occasions, the threats have been made on the promise of jail if he keeps posting”.
This is not the first time that Yasmany González, who works as a self-employed bricklayer, has had problems with the Cuban political police. Last year, after being detained for four days in Villa Marista, the activist declared that he would stop posting on his social networks.
“I’m already at home with my family (…) I’m going to get out, guys, because nobody knows what happens to a family member when you’re in there”, he wrote then on his Facebook account, a few hours after his release.
Shortly before, he had been fined in the application of Decree Law 370 for his publications on the internet, in which he denounced human rights violations in Cuba and demanded the release of those sentenced for the 11 July 2021 protests.
Translated by Norma Whiting
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