More than ten months after sending him to jail, the authorities have finally set a date for the trial of Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara, leader of the San Isidro Movement (MSI). The appointment will be next May 30 and 31 at the Municipal Court of Marianao, in Havana.
The artist was arrested on July 11, before he joined the peaceful demonstrations that day, and his case is part of the same file under which the musician Maykel Castillo is also accused. Osorb, whose court appearance could be the same day or the next, May 31 .
Both are prosecuted for events that occurred on April 4, 2021, when they went out to Damas street, headquarters of the MSI, in Old Havana, to sing Homeland and Life, before the eyes of the neighbors, who then helped the police not to arrest Osorbo.
The defense has called the artists Julio Llópiz-Casal, Lázaro Saavedra and Amaury Pacheco as witnesses.
The Island Prosecutor’s Office requested seven years in prison for Alcántara for aggravated contempt, public disorder and instigation to commit a crime, and ten years for Osorbo, for attack, public disorder and escape of prisoners or detainees. The musician, arrested on May 18 of last year and transferred on May 31 to the maximum security prison of Kilo Cinco y Medio, in Pinar del Río, where he remains, still does not have a trial date.
On Alcántara weighs, in addition, the accusation of outrage against the patriotic symbols, open for carrying out the work of art with the Cuban flag Drapeau.
To defend him from this accusation, his lawyers have called as witnesses other artists, friends of the MSI leader: Julio Llópiz-Casal, Lázaro Saavedra and Amaury Pacheco.
At the end of last April, Amnesty International denounced that, due to the hunger strikes carried out by Alcántara and the lack of medical attention in the maximum security prison of Guanajay, where he is, the artist lost the sight of one eye.
Both he and Osorbo won, earlier this May, the Freedom Award 2022 granted by the human rights organization Freedom House.
The president of this NGO, Michael J. Abramowitz, declared then: “As we face enormous challenges to freedom around the world, it is an honor to celebrate the incredible courage of this year’s laureates to stand up to tyranny. “.
________________________
Collaborate with our work:
The team of 14ymedio is committed to doing serious journalism that reflects the reality of deep Cuba. Thank you for joining us on this long road. We invite you to continue supporting us, but this time becoming a member of our newspaper. Together we can continue transforming journalism in Cuba.
