MIAMI, United States. – The Complaint Center of the Foundation for Pan American Democracy (FDP) lamented this Friday the situation of legal helplessness of Cuban political prisoners, after receiving the letter from two activists of the Opposition Movement for a New Republic (MONR) held in the Valle Grande prison and promoters of Cuba Decide.
Both political prisoners chose not to divulge their names for fear of further reprisals.
In the letter, sent from Valle Grande, they warn about the irregularities in the judicial processes and the mistreatment received by the prison authorities. In addition, they denounce the conduct of rigged trials and the presumed intention of the regime to lengthen, without reason, the criminal proceedings against them.
“What about the work of the Prosecutor’s Office? That is one of the questions that hundreds of inmates ask themselves in the Valle Grande prison due to the delay in their legal procedures, due to the delay in their trials and sentences. There is an exaggerated delay on the part of the competent authorities regarding this issue that has become a frequent debate among them [los reclusos]”, reads the manuscript.
They also refer to the trials held against demonstrators of the July 11, 2021the use of false witnesses in these processes and the attitude of the Prosecutor’s Office and the judges, who fundamentally believed agents of the Ministry of the Interior who lacked evidence.
“Why does the Prosecutor’s Office put so much effort into accrediting the words of law enforcement officers who are summoned to testify as witnesses, if at the time of their statements they suffer from a marked lack of coordination in them? Why does the Prosecutor’s Office insist on giving total veracity to the statements of said agents without having any documentary material, say photos or videos?
Regarding his situation, one of the activists who signed the letter explained that he is being held for having participated in the 11J protests and that he was accused of fabricated crimes. He assures that his participation was peaceful and the real reason for his imprisonment is his link with the opposition.
Likewise, both political prisoners call attention to what appears to be a new repressive strategy of the regime known as “Operation Fist”, which consists, according to the authors of the letter, in revoking the sanctions of inmates who are under parole or other measures.
The absence of legal guarantees, poor nutrition, frequent violations of their rights, beatings, threats, as well as prison transfers without prior notification, lead prisoners to go on hunger strikes as the only resource to demand and make the situation visible. to which they are subjected by
For its part, the Complaints Center reiterated to CubaNet his concern for the political prisoners on the island and assured that he will soon present this complaint to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR).
Currently, the regime is keeping 19 members of the Opposition Movement for a New Republic in prison, including José Díaz Silva, its president. Meanwhile, 50 promoters of the Cuba Decide initiative remain in the island’s prisons.
Receive information from CubaNet on your cell phone through WhatsApp. Send us a message with the word “CUBA” on the phone +1 (786) 316-2072, You can also subscribe to our electronic newsletter by giving click here.
