Jardines suffers from laryngeal carcinoma and has not received adequate medical care since his diagnosis in 2021.
MADRID, Spain.- The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) granted This week, precautionary measures were granted in favor of Cuban prisoner Joel Jardines Jardines, who is in a situation of serious risk to his life and integrity while he remains detained in the Aguacate prison, Quivicán, in the province of Mayabeque.
According to documents submitted by the IACHR, Jardines Jardines suffers from carcinoma of the larynx and has not received adequate medical care since his diagnosis in 2021, when he should have begun a possible chemotherapy treatment. In addition, clinical reports included in the file indicate that his health condition has deteriorated significantly due to the lack of a treatment plan, which puts his life at risk. It has also been reported that the prisoner has been subjected to physical repression by the prison authorities after requesting medical assistance, which further aggravates his situation.
Given these facts, and considering the seriousness of the lack of adequate medical care, as well as the possible fatal consequences resulting from the State’s inaction, the IACHR decided to grant precautionary measures to protect the rights to life, personal integrity and health of Joel Jardines Jardines.
The Commission requested that the Cuban State adopt the necessary measures to ensure that the beneficiary’s conditions of detention are in accordance with applicable international standards. Among the measures requested, the IACHR urged that the necessary medical diagnoses be carried out, that sufficient and timely medical information be provided, and that a treatment plan be defined with the prior consent of the affected person.
The IACHR, an autonomous body of the Organization of American States (OAS), also expressed its concern about the allegations of physical repression against Jardines Jardines and asked the island’s regime to report on the actions taken to investigate these events and prevent their repetition in the future.
Last July, the IACHR issued precautionary measures to protect Frai Claro Valladares, a Cuban political prisoner serving a sentence 10 year sentence of prison for the alleged crime of sedition. Valladares was arrested after participating in the Nuevitas demonstrations, Camagüey, in August 2022, and for denouncing police violence through their social networks.
Also in July, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights established precautionary measures in favor of political prisoner Julián Mazola Beltrán, who is in a situation of extreme gravity and urgency, with a significant risk of irreparable harm to his life and personal integrity. Other Cubans for whom the IACHR has requested precautionary measures are: Aniette GonzalezJulio Cesar Gongora, Walnier Luis Aguilar Rivera and Ibrahim Dominguez Aguilar.
