The Municipal Court of Los Arabos, in Matanzas, last Thursday sentenced the opposition José Hernández López to one year in prison for the events of 15N, according to the 14ymedio the opposition Martha Beatriz Roque. The former political prisoner explained that the activist was prosecuted for the crimes of attack and contempt, and not for disobedience, as the prosecution had initially indicated.
Hernández López was one of those arrested in a park in Los Arabos when he took to the streets on November 15 with a white sweater. Then a police officer approached to demand that he change his clothes but the activist refused and the officer proceeded to arrest him.
For that day, the Archipelago platform had called a “Civic March for Change” which was joined by activists and citizens, but the few who managed to go out on the streets that day were arrested. Most suffered a strong surveillance by State Security and a police fence around their homes.
According to the opposition and independent trade unionist Iván Hernández Carrillo denounced Radio Marti the court where Hernández López was tried “was taken over by the Military Forces of the Political Police and the National Police, in addition to paramilitaries, rapid response brigades, and access to relatives was not allowed.”
Iván Hernández Carrillo denounced that the court where Hernández López was tried “was taken over by the Military Forces of the Political Police and the National Police
The activist, who was convicted during the Black Spring of 2003, considers it “unacceptable” that the international community continues to observe the violations committed by the island’s regime and that “they do not take serious measures with the Cuban dictatorship.”
Another of those arrested and sentenced for the day of 15N is Humberto Bello, who was processed in a summary and secret trial, in which he has been sentenced to one year in jail. The convicts of that day are added to those of the day of 11J for which the legal information center Cubalex demanded “immediate dismissal” of all the processes in the hands of the Prosecutor’s Office.
The Justicia 11 platform together with Cubalex also asked for the support of civil society, as well as that of the independent press and all those who can share information and details of these judicial processes in order to denounce it and sensitize the international community with the issue of political prisoners in Cuba.
To date, these organizations have documented 1,283 detainees as a result of the July 11 demonstrations. Of that total, at least 540 are still in prison and they assure that they have verified 42 convicts in summary trials.
In the report, Cubalex showed special concern about “the use of the figure of sedition to impose exemplary sanctions on at least 122 people” and recalled that before July 11, Cuban Prisoners Defenders registered 152 political prisoners.
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