After spending a certain time in prison, inmates can request benefits such as progression to a minimum severity regime or even conditional release.
HAVANA, Cuba. – The political prisoner Yasser Fernando Rodríguez González was denied in advance the progression to a minimum severity regime and conditional freedom, according to what he himself reported by telephone last Wednesday, October 15, from the Combinado de Sandino prison, in Pinar del Río.
The inmate reported that, at the end of September, when inquiring about his benefits from the re-educator (a soldier who identifies herself as “Chala” and “always appears without epaulettes,” that is, without showing her ranks), she gave him a note stating the denial of the benefits of transfer to a regime of minimum severity and conditional release.
Rodríguez González was struck by the fact that said note was dated November 1, 2025, something that the soldier could not explain either.
In this regard, as he expanded, the officer of the State Security who identifies himself as “Mario” assured him that “that was normal” due to the time Rodríguez González had spent in isolation. However, the prisoner alleges, in his case the denial of benefits is not appropriate, since he has not been isolated as punishment, but voluntarily.
Furthermore, Rodríguez González took the opportunity to reiterate that his transfer to the Sandino Combinado was deceived, making him believe that he was being taken to Havana.
Likewise, he stressed that his captivity in that extremely rigorous Pinar del Río penitentiary makes visits from his relatives even more difficult, since because it is too far away, the trips become longer and more expensive.
Yasser Fernando Rodríguez González, a 42-year-old bricklayer, was imprisoned on November 25, 2020 as punishment for covering the facade of his house with posters against the dictatorship and for expressing his opinions against the Cuban regime on his social networks. After spending more than 12 months in prison without trial, he was sentenced to seven years in prison for the alleged crime of “incitement to rebellion.”
In accordance with the Jails and Prisons Regulations in force in the country, the primary prisoner has the right to be considered for conditional release after having served half of the sanction, in this case four years and six months, already exceeded. As for the progression to a minimum severity regime, this can be analyzed after having completed one fifth of the sanction, in this case around one year and five months.
Both benefits (progression to minimum severity regime and conditional release) can be requested by both the prisoner himself and his family or lawyer, if he has one. This is what Rodríguez González’s relatives have done, but on each occasion the response has been negative.
