Persecution in Cuba: The dictatorship began the trial of an influential young man for criticizing the regime

A Havana court plans to hold the trial on Monday. Solmira Martinezan influential Cuban figure who prosecutors are seeking a 10-year prison sentence for having contacts with dissidents abroad, attempting to organize a demonstration and publishing comments critical of the government.

In a document from the prosecutor’s office, Martinez, 22, was charged with contempt and a crime against the constitutional order.

The petition was signed on April 15, 15 months after her arrest. The young woman spent all this time in temporary detention between the detention center of Villa Marista State Security and Western women’s prison.

According to the prosecutor, Martinez began his critical activity on the networks between the end of 2021 and the beginning of 2022, which was discovered by the Information Analysis Directorate of the Institute of Information and Social Communication (IICS).

He is accused of creating two anonymous Facebook accounts where he wrote phrases such as “There is no dialogue with dictatorship. Hit them, crush them as they do to you,” “It is time to rise up against those who expose our children to hunger” and “To the streets until victory.” Homeland and life.

He also made three disparaging references to Cuba’s dictator, Miguel Diaz-Canelas recorded by the Public Prosecution.

Additionally, the brief continues, the defendant created a WhatsApp group calling for “another July 11,” a reference to the largest anti-government protests recorded on the island on that day in 2021, but it was not made of concrete in any way.

Cuba has prosecuted several people for their social media activity, according to several NGOs, which have criticized the lack of guarantees of freedom of expression on the island, despite its inclusion in the 2019 constitution.

In June, the NGO Prisoners’ advocates I mentioned that Escalating repression in Cuba who caused 19 new arrests in recent weeksThe total number of political prisoners on the island was 1,113.

Karen Herrera, the NGO’s legal director, said: information “Eleven people were arbitrarily detained and in violation of all due process for their participation on May 28 in demonstrations by residents of Juraguá in Cienfuegos, which broke out after more than 14 hours without electricity in one of the repeated blackouts and at least 27 days with water shortages.

“We continue to study other cases. The follower 1,113 political prisonersand they are still on the list. 30 young men Those arrested and imprisoned as minors: 27 of them are still serving their sentences, and three are still in criminal proceedings with precautionary measures without any judicial protection. In addition, 117 womenincluding minors and two transgender people, are currently still in political prison or under house arrest and are facing severe threats. All trans women in the prison of conscience, like those imprisoned for common crimes, were and still are imprisoned among men with all that that entails.“Herrera told this medium.

He then confirmed that among the 1,113 political prisoners, the organization had identified “305 with serious medical conditionswithout proper medical treatment and proven to be caused by lack of food, ill-treatment, oppressive environment and exacerbated by lack of care. The ill-treatment, abuse and torture we documented is exacerbated for the most vulnerable in prison.Those with mental and emotional disabilities and psychological conditions are imprisoned in regular prisons wherever they are. Harassed, humiliated and beaten By officials under their responsibility.”

(With information from EFE)