The European Union showed its concern on Monday about the “severe” sentences of up to 20 years in prison handed down against twenty protesters who participated in the anti-government protests on July 11 in Cuba.
“We are concerned about the severe sentences imposed,” said the European Commission’s foreign spokesman, Peter Stano, on his official Twitter account.
The spokesman for the European External Action Service (EEAS), headed by the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Policy, Josep Borrell, urged the Havana authorities to “respect fundamental rights, including freedom of expression.”
“Transparency and respect for due process must guide the trials related to the July 11 protests,” Stano stressed.
On July 11, the largest anti-government protests in decades took place in Cuba, spontaneous and massive demonstrations linked to the serious economic crisis that the country is going through and the demands for freedom.
The high representative of the EU for Foreign Policy, Josep Borrell, urged the authorities in Havana to “respect fundamental rights, including freedom of expression”
The Cuban Justice, in a ruling by the Provincial Court of Holguín, sentenced last week 20 protesters for sedition, including five minors, to between five years of limited freedom and 20 years in prison.
The Government of the Island did not publicly disseminate these sentences and the official media had not reported this case until late on Monday when the official press published a note from Prensa Latina generically titled Trial in Cuban province highlights violence after riots in which the sentences and the crimes for which the accused were tried are not indicated.
The text speaks of alleged evidence presented that demonstrates the involvement of the United States in the protests, affirms that the accused were repentant and that the right to defense was guaranteed, contrary to the versions that the protesters, through their families, have maintained at all times.
In a recent document, the Attorney General’s Office reported the prosecution of 790 people for acts related to the July 11 protests. Of the total number of defendants, 55 are between 16 and 17 years old.
________________________
Collaborate with our work:
The team of 14ymedio is committed to doing serious journalism that reflects the reality of deep Cuba. Thank you for joining us on this long road. We invite you to continue supporting us, but this time becoming a member of our journal. Together we can continue transforming journalism in Cuba.
