(EUROPA PRESS) .- The Cuban Observatory for Human Rights (OCDH) denounced this Wednesday that the Cuban authorities use the crime of “sedition” to judge people who came out to protest last July, which brought together thousands of people demonstrating for the lack of medicine, food and in favor of freedoms.
In a statement, the executive director of the OCDH, Alejandro González Raga, has criticized that “blaming sedition on those who spontaneously took to the streets to ask for freedom is intolerable.”
“The use of the most severe articles of the Penal Code to punish dissent and intimidate the rest of the citizens is shameful and is part of the criminalization of protests by an overwhelmed regime and without solutions,” he added.
“The international community cannot remain silent in the face of the scandalous tax requests for 11J and the threats and coercion suffered by citizens in the vicinity of 15N”
According to partial data obtained by the observatory, at least 40 citizens face the alleged crime of “sedition” and could be sentenced to more than 20 years in prison. Among the most serious cases are those of Alejaime Lambert Reyes, 22, and Carlos Alberto Hernández Pérez, 23, both with a prosecutor’s request for 26 years in prison.
In this context, González Raga has warned that “the repressive climate is increasing these days”, in view of the call for a civic march on November 15.
Thus, he has asked for the support of the international community. “The international community cannot remain silent in the face of the scandalous tax requests for the 11J and the threats and coercion suffered by citizens in the vicinity of the 15N”, he summarized.
OCDH data show that in October there were at least 579 repressive actions, 80 of them arbitrary detentions. Among the most used abuses against activists, independent journalists and artists are the housing site –313–, police subpoenas, harassment and threats.
________________________
Collaborate with our work:
The team of 14ymedio He 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.
