Mexico City, Mexico.- Aniette González was arrested on March 23 in Camagüey by uniformed police officers and agents in civilian clothes. Since then she has been confined and incommunicado in Villa María Luisa, the headquarters of State Security in that province.
The activist was arrested for posting on networks some photos of her wrapped in the cuban flag. According to the reporter Héctor Luis Cocho, they accuse her of “Insult to the Patriotic symbols”.
“The activist Lenelis Delgado managed to speak with Major Barroso from the Ministry of the Interior; which informs him that the activist Aniette González is being repressed by the instructor Axel. She is not allowed to see her or pass her cigarettes and that a trial will proceed for the crime of insulting her national symbols. The same major from the Ministry of the Interior informed her that next Monday the prosecutor’s office will arrive to prosecute her,” reported Valdés Cocho.
In the last week Cubans will resume the initiative of publishing photos with the national symbol as a sign of their collective essence. The performance “The flag belongs to everyone” is celebrated in solidarity with the artist Luis Manuel Otero Alcantaraimprisoned in the Guanajay maximum security prison, for the crimes of insulting the symbols of the country, contempt and public disorder.
According to Cuban legislation, “insulting national symbols” includes sullying or showing contempt for the flag or the national anthem with other acts. This can be punished with a prison sentence of two to five years.
International Amnesty has warned that in a context where the judiciary remains neither independent nor impartial, and allows criminal proceedings to be brought against those who criticize the government, “this could result in the imprisonment of human rights activists or critical actors for periods still longer”. As is the case today with Anniete González and the leader of the San Isidro Movement.
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