MADRID, Spain.- Jorge Luis Rodríguez Valdés, known as “Tangallo”, a Cuban political prisoner and human rights defender, was subjected to 27 days of solitary confinement in a punishment cell in the Kilo 8 prisonlocated in Pinar del Río. According to Complaints received by the Cubalex organizationThe measure was justified on the grounds of “suspicion of tuberculosis.” However, the differential treatment received by Tangallo, a member of the Patriotic Union of Cuba (UNPACU), constitutes a case of political discrimination.
While three other inmates suspected of having tuberculosis were taken to the infirmary for medical attention, Tangallo was confined to a punishment cell in harsh conditions. This difference in treatment contravenes the principle of non-discrimination enshrined in Article 2 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which prohibits any type of discrimination based on political opinion, the Legal Advisory Centre denounced.
The refusal to provide Tangallo with timely medical care, unlike other prisoners, constitutes a double violation of his rights: unjustified isolation and lack of adequate health care. This incident adds to a series of reprisals that Tangallo has faced since his imprisonment in April 2022, when he was sentenced to four years in prison for the crime of “disrespect.” His conviction came after he had painted messages critical of the government on the walls of the train station in the town of Entronque de Herradura.
Last Decemberhad already been subjected to two weeks of isolation, in response to a complaint he made to President Miguel Díaz-Canel and Raúl Castro, in which he denounced repeated violations of human rights in Cuba. On that occasion, according to the opposition leader himself, he was kept locked up in a walled cell.
Recently Cubalex, when exposing the worrying situation in Cuban prisons, He recalled that, according to the Mandela Rules, solitary confinement in prison should not last more than 15 consecutive days and should only be used in exceptional cases, under independent review and never as a punishment.
However, in Cuba, the Penal Enforcement Law allows solitary confinement for up to three months, which contradicts these international standards.
Prolonged isolation and inhumane conditions in the punishment cells have a devastating impact on the physical and mental health of prisoners. The effects include severe anxiety, extreme stress and other psychological problems, which can have long-lasting consequences. Lack of adequate medical care and neglect further aggravate these conditions, Cubalex denounced. And it concluded that the practices of isolation and punishment in Cuban prisons represent a clear violation of human rights under the Mandela Rules.
