A Havana court sentenced 15 protesters on July 11, 2021 (11J) to sentences ranging from four years of “limited freedom” to 13 years in prison, the largest protests in decades.
According to the sentence, dated January 23 and to which EFE had access this Wednesday, the Provincial People’s Court of Havana convicted them of “sedition”, but handed down sentences mostly lower than those requested by the Prosecutor’s Office.
The sentence – which is not final and therefore still open to appeal – corresponds to a trial held in November past and which has attracted great media attention on the island.
Among those tried was Jonathan Torres, a young man who was 17 at the time of the events (the only minor in this trial). The minimum criminal age in Cuba is 16 years.
He is one of 55 people between the ages of 16 and 17 who have faced criminal proceedings for the events of 11J, as confirmed by the Attorney General of Cuba.
In Torres’ case, the court sentenced him to four years of “limited liberty” (when the prosecution had requested five). This means that He will not enter prison, but his movements will be monitored by a judge.
Similarly, there are three sanctioned with correctional labor without internment and three others with internment.
In statements to EFE, Orlando Ramírez, husband of Torres’ mother, described the trial as a “spectacle” and, while considering the sentence a “victory”, added that “in reality (the trial against the stepson) is a mistake because he did nothing”.
In total, 75 cumulative years in prison were served. for the protesters.
The accusation
The court considered proven facts that the convicts mobilized in the municipality of Arroyo Naranjo, Havana, with “the aim of generating the destabilization of the social and political order established in the Republic of Cuba”.
They were also accused of throwing stones and shouting slogans against the country’s president, Miguel Díaz-Canel.
However, according to the scripture, at least three of the defendants denied having been present during the events.
Two of the defendants’ mothers were called to testify but declined.
The trial was held with witnesses presented by the prosecutor’s office – mostly policemen – who were censored for defenses due to their hesitations and changes in testimony, as EFE was able to learn at the time through a source who was inside the room.
Likewise, during the trial the charge of assault, public disorder, contempt and incitement to crime was changed to the crime of sedition.
This change has caused discomfort among at least two of the lawyers according to the same source, because this offense implies the intention to destabilize the state order, in accordance with the penal code.
As they claimed, this is not supported because the 15 participated in a demonstration that took place far from the seats of Cuban state power.
On one of the days of the trial, two of the lawyers criticized the proceedings against the 11J protesters, as EFE learned.
One of them said: “It’s time for the country to start healing its wounds, it’s time for the country to sit down and talk, it’s time for the country to create public spaces so that all those people who don’t think the same way can express themselves safely and legally without being charged with a crime”.
Cuba’s Justice Minister, Óscar Silvera, held a meeting with European Union (EU) ambassadors last week where the protesters’ pardons were lifted, according to reports
Until now about 700 sentences were handed down, according to the registry kept by organizations such as Justicia 11J and Cubalex. Of these cases, some penalties go up to 30 years in prison for the crime of sedition.
Source: EFE
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Source: Clarin
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.