MIAMI, United States.- The young Cuban Daily González denounced this Thursday in a conversation with CubaNet that her family “awaits five years of unjust sentence”, after her husband, Joel Tor Caballero, was sentenced to prison for participating in the massive government protests of July 11, 2021 (J11) in Santiago de Cuba.
Tor Caballero, imprisoned since July 13 when he was preparing to claim the documents that various regime officials took from him during the protest in José Martí Park, in the provincial capital, was tried on December 13 and 14 in the Municipal Court of Santiago de Cuba.
The Prosecutor’s Office, which initially requested seven years in prison for the crimes of “public disorder and contempt”, was finally sentenced to five years.
“On July 11 there was a peaceful demonstration, people took to the streets to express their dissatisfaction with the scarcity that we Cubans face, not only on that date, but now,” said González.
Joel Tor, who was self-employed and his job supported his wife and a little 3-year-old girl, joined the 11J demonstration to demand his rights as a Cuban. “It all started in Martí Park, and it was peaceful according to what he told me and the testimonies of people who were there.”
Little more than half an hour later, a patrol arrived at the scene and the agents asked for the documents, Daily says, but when they were about to arrest Joel, those present did not allow it. Shortly after he went to his house and they spent a day like that without anyone calling him.
“On July 13 we were going to go out to claim the belongings that had been taken from him. However, a message from the provincial DTI arrived on my phone telling me that Joel had to report immediately, ”he assured.
Today Daily regrets having gone to the scene, especially since a text message is not the legal or official way to summon someone to justice. Her husband was arrested that day.
The young woman, 20 years old and still a student, at night, explained that now she and her daughter live off the help of her family, since she does not work. Joel was the breadwinner for both of them.
“My husband is a wonderful person, he gets along with everyone and has never had problems with the law, this is the first time we have been involved in something like this,” she lamented.
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