A court in eastern Cuba on Tuesday convicted 20 Cubans for taking part in last July’s anti-government protests. That reports AFP news agency based on human rights organization Justicia 11J. In almost all cases, the convicts are said to have been guilty of ‘sedition’.
The prison terms are up to 20 years. Five minors, aged 16 and 17, were given prison sentences of up to five years. They probably don’t have to go to jail because of their age. In response, the US embassy in Havana has condemned the sentences. “The government must now release all protesters,” the embassy wrote on Twitter†
The 20 Cubans took part in the anti-government protests that broke out on the island on July 11, 2021. Thousands of people took part in protest marches, demonstrating against human rights violations by the communist regime and the economic problems that have led to food and medicine shortages on the island.
Hundreds of arrests
The authorities in Cuba reacted harshly to the protests. Dozens of protesters were injured in clashes with police. One protester was killed. In addition, more than 1,300 people were arrested, of whom more than 700, including 55 minors, have been charged. Hundreds of other protesters are still waiting for their verdict.
Write in a message on Facebook Justice 11J, a human rights organization founded in the wake of the protests, that all protesters should be released. International organizations such as Amnesty International are also being called upon to come to Cuba “so that they can inspect the condition of detention centers across the country.” According to the organization, there would be “various forms of torture and inhuman and degrading treatment” in these prisons.