Cuban courts convicted 74 more participants in the anti-government protests in July 2021, bringing the total to 488, the Attorney General’s office said on Wednesday. The judges also acquitted the two defendants.
Of the 74 convicted, 56 were sentenced to prison terms ranging from 10 to 18 years, while 18 were commuted to community service.
According to the prosecution, the prisoners “attacked the constitutional order and stability of our socialist state.”
On July 11 and 12, 2021, thousands of people gathered in 50 Cuban cities against the Communist Party rule in 60 years. One person was killed in the protests, dozens were injured and hundreds were arrested.
Cuban authorities say the largest demonstrations on the island since the 1959 Revolution were organized by the US government, which has demanded the release of political prisoners in Havana.
As of last week, judicial authorities had reported 414 recent convicts, 36 of whom were sentenced to up to 25 years in prison for “sedition”.
In January, the Communist government reported that 790 people, including 55 children, were accused of these protests.
The US embassy on Twitter inquired about the situation of opposition leader Daniel Ferrer, who was detained in Santiago de Cuba on July 11, on Twitter.
“Why did the Cuban regime prevent @jdanielferrer from speaking to his family for 17 days, including Father’s Day? José Daniel and all detained #11J protesters must be released,” the diplomatic mission said.
In May, ten months after mass protests, the Cuban Parliament “unanimously” passed a new Penal Code that included more stringent classifications such as “participation in subversive activities” to provide a strong deterrent to demonstrations.
source: Noticias
[author_name]
