It is a penalty for example. Roberto Perez Fonseca, 38, a protester participating in the unprecedented July 11 movement in Cuba, was sentenced to ten years in prison, the heaviest sentence imposed following the event, Agence France-Presse has learned (AFP ), Saturday 23 October, with his relatives and a human rights organization.
The court in San José de las Lajas, 35 kilometers from Havana, sentenced Roberto Perez Fonseca to “Serve ten years” of prison for the offenses of contempt, aggression, disturbing public order and incitement to commit an offense, according to the judgment dated October 6 and consulted by AFP.
Relying on the testimony of a local police officer, the three judges of the court said that Roberto Perez Fonseca had instigated “People to get together, to throw stones and bottles”. The protester, a father of two, was arrested five days later by the police at his mother’s home.
The penalty “Is excessive and violates all guarantees of due process”, reacted to AFP Laritza Diversent, director of Cubalex. According to this human rights NGO, this is the heaviest sentence handed down to date against a July 11 protester. Mme Diversent has denounced a sentence “For example” in order to “To instill fear and awe” in the society.
According to Liset Fonseca, the mother of the condemned, the heaviness of the sentence is explained by the fact that her son broke a portrait of Fidel Castro, the leader of the Cuban revolution. “Breaking the image, that does not forgive”, she said, indicating that the family intends to appeal the decision.
Arbitrary detentions
On July 11, thousands of Cubans took to the streets shouting “Down with the dictatorship! “ and ” We are hungry ! “. These unprecedented demonstrations resulted in one death, dozens of wounded and nearly a thousand arrests. About five hundred people are still detained. The government accuses the demonstrators of wanting to overthrow power with the support of the United States. The NGO Human Rights Watch recently accused the government of carrying out arbitrary detentions, mistreating prisoners and conducting mock trials.
Cuba is going through a deep economic crisis, where the effects of soaring inflation are exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic and the strengthening of the US embargo, which has exacerbated shortages of food and medicine.
On Thursday, the Cuban prosecution warned the organizers of a demonstration, scheduled for November 15, to demand in particular the release of political prisoners.