MADRID, Spain.- Amnesty International condemned the tax petitions presented this Thursday by the Cuban regime against the leader of the San Isidro Movement (MSI), Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara, and the rapper Maykel Castillo Pérez (Maykel Osorbo).
“In Cuba, the prisoners of conscience, Luis Manuel Otero and Maykel Castillo, for protesting, making protest art, denouncing the repression and authoritarianism of a government that despises its people, the Prosecutor’s Office asks that they be sentenced to 7 and 10 years in prison. prison respectively”, he denounced through Twitter Erika Guevara Rosas, director for the Americas at Amnesty International.
Guevara Rosas shared a document from the Prosecutor’s Office where some elements are exposed for which, according to the regime, are reasons to accuse opponents.
“Luis Manuel Otero uploaded a photo to social networks in which he appears along with other people with an offensive writing against the lone star flag. In the images shared by the accused, it can be seen that he gave the flag a contemptuous treatment. (…) The accused Maykel Castillo Pérez published on his Facebook page material known as memes with the purpose of ridiculing and discrediting the deputies of the National Assembly of People’s Power”, reads the official document.
On #Cubato the prisoners of conscience, Luis Manuel Otero and Maykel Castillo, for protesting, making protest art, denouncing the repression and authoritarianism of a government that despises its people, the prosecution asks that they be sentenced to 7 and 10 years in prison, respectively #SOSCuba pic.twitter.com/WfYnMQktxt
– Erika Guevara-Rosas (@ErikaGuevaraR) April 7, 2022
In May 2021, Amnesty International named Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara prisoner of conscience and urged the Cuban government to release him.
“Luis Manuel should not spend another day in state custody. He has been deprived of his liberty solely for peacefully expressing himself and must be released immediately and unconditionally. It is time for the Cuban authorities to recognize that they cannot silence all the independent voices in the country,” the organization said.
On March 8, after several months in prison under precautionary measures, the Municipal People’s Court of Central Havana made the request for an oral trial for Otero Alcántara and Castillo Pérez.
After almost a month of opening the oral trial process, the tax petitions came out on April 7.
The news was released by the Cuban activist and art curator Anamely Ramos, who stated on Facebook: “How miserable that power that stops at nothing! How deeply miserable the reality of death that they extend to everything they touch! (…) From a prison or from wherever, Maykel and Luis are inspiration and symbol for Cubans”.
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