MIAMI, United States. – Cuban professor and opponent Pedro Albert Sánchez, 68, was released this Thursday after declaring a hunger strike last Sunday, October 20 in prison. His release occurred after complaints from independent civil society and international organizations concerned about his state of health.
“Peter is at home today. They are not completely free, they are still in the hands of the regime, of the repressors; We still have many other brothers in prison whose freedom we have to advocate for,” reported his wife, Ana Elvis Amaya Leyva, in a live broadcast on Facebook.
Amaya Leyva stated that she could not offer an accurate assessment of her husband’s health due to the lack of a professional diagnosis. “We are looking for a good doctor who can do it,” he added.
Becoming an active defender of the freedom of her husband and the Cuban political prisoners, Amaya Leyva affirmed that her fight continues: “Others are sick too and we have to continue advocating for them to also be released. The fight continues, we are assisted by reason, we are assisted by the truth, we want justice, freedom, not only for political prisoners, but also for all Cubans,” he emphasized.
Last Friday, October 25, Amnesty International demanded that the Cuban regime release Pedro Albert Sánchez after learning about his new hunger strike. The professor had informed his family that “after 39 days poorly fed, with fever and headache,” he had decided to “stand down” once again.
“Miguel Díaz-Canel, free Pedro Albert and the hundreds of people unjustly imprisoned for defending their rights,” said Amnesty International in a message where it also advocated “for a Cuba without repression.”
Since his imprisonment, the opponent has carried out several hunger strikes and protest actions. Although he suffers from prostate cancer, the authorities have not responded to the request for extra-penal leave due to his health condition, presented on May 6.
Participant of the protests of July 11, 2021 In Guanabacoa, Havana, Albert Sánchez was sentenced by a court to five years of limited freedom on charges of “public disorder” and “contempt.” However, he was imprisoned in November 2023, after the Havana Execution Court revoked his sanction and ordered him to be served in a closed penitentiary center.
In July of this year, Amnesty International declared him a “prisoner of conscience” and sent a letter to ruler Miguel Díaz-Canel urging him to “release him immediately and unconditionally.”
