MIAMI.- The former Cuban judge Melody González Pedrazawho arrived in the United States in May 2024 under the humanitarian parole program, remains detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) pending her final hearing to request asylum. The process was scheduled for January 21, 2025.
Eight months ago, he was denied entry to the United States due to his record in Cuba, where he sentenced four young people to prison terms for crimes against State Security.
Before his departure from Cuba, González Pedraza issued sentences of three and four years in prison against four young people under 30 years of age, accused of throwing Molotov cocktails at properties of police and State Security officials in Encrucijada, Villa Clara, in November. 2022. According to his statements to Diario de Cuba, he acted under instructions from his superiors to dismiss the defense evidence and punish those involved.
The former judge has tried to disassociate herself from her judicial decisions in Cuba, alleging that she was following superior orders. However, his asylum application faces obstacles due to his previous affiliation with the Cuban judicial system and his involvement in cases of political repression.
The Foundation for Human Rights in Cuba (FDHC) included her on a list of repressors, which has influenced the initial refusal to enter the country.
Jurist Laritza Diversent, director of the Cubalex legal advice center has manifested about the case: “Melody is a human rights violator, because she allows all the actions that State Security invents against people like these boys, and that they are punished and are in prison suffering violations of their rights.”
The FDHC has identified more than 1,000 people with histories of repression residing in the United Stateswhich has generated concern about the admission of individuals linked to human rights violations. This year alone at least 115 former Cuban officials have tried to enter the country, according to data from the Foundation.
