Five Cuban activists have been sentenced to up to seven years in prison for protesting on the island in February 2023, according to the Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) Prisoners Defenders.
In a Facebook post, the NGO condemned the Cuban regime's actions to imprison those who oppose its policies. The accused were charged with alleged propaganda against the constitutional order, in a trial held on June 20 at the Provincial Court of Havana.
The activists' names are William Cepero García and Jesús Alfredo Pérez Rivas, both sentenced to five years in prison; Josiel Guía Piloto and Lázaro Romero Piloto, each given seven years, while Alain Yosvani Cruz Suescum received five years of correctional labor without internment.
The incident leading to their sentences occurred in February 2023 when former political prisoner Josiel Guia Piloto sewed his mouth shut in protest against police harassment, being surrounded in his home and threatened by State Security repressors. His uncle, Lázaro Romero Piloto, sewed his mouth shut, while William Cepero recorded the action and posted it on social media. Subsequently, the five activists took to the streets with signs reading "Cuba Failed State," "Díaz-Canel Murderer," and "Homeland and Life."
The Cuban court labeled these actions as a planned protest with "unconstitutional, counter-revolutionary content, aimed at promoting hatred and rejection of the socialist government system enshrined and approved in the Constitution of the Republic of Cuba."
The five men were detained and interrogated without their lawyers present the following day.
In May, the Cuban regime had a total of 1,113 political prisoners, according to the latest report from Prisoners Defenders. "This month has been marked by repression against peaceful protesters, large-scale repressive operations against independent journalists, torture of prisoners with psychiatric conditions, and the denial of prison benefits to political prisoners entitled to them in Cuba," the NGO stated in its document.
Key Facts About Recent Sentences of Cuban Activists
To provide further clarity on the situation, here are some frequently asked questions and their answers regarding the recent sentencing of Cuban activists.
What charges were brought against the Cuban activists?
The activists were charged with alleged propaganda against the constitutional order.
Who are the activists and what were their sentences?
William Cepero García and Jesús Alfredo Pérez Rivas were sentenced to five years in prison, Josiel Guía Piloto and Lázaro Romero Piloto to seven years, and Alain Yosvani Cruz Suescum received five years of correctional labor without internment.
What actions led to their arrest?
The activists were arrested after protesting with signs that read "Cuba Failed State," "Díaz-Canel Murderer," and "Homeland and Life," following an incident where Josiel Guia Piloto sewed his mouth shut in protest against police harassment.