The organization Prisoners Defenders (PD) released an unreleased video on Wednesday that not only proves the innocence and arbitrary detention of Cuban-German political prisoner Luis Frómeta Compte, accused of sedition following the July 12 protests in La Güinera, Havana, but also exonerates the demonstrators by confirming their innocence. The material, published on YouTube, clearly shows Frómeta peacefully and politely engaging with police officers while they hurled stones and fired at the frightened peaceful protesters.
During those same protests, Diubis Laurencio Tejeda, a young man, was fatally shot in the back by Cuban police sub-lieutenant Yoennis Pelegrín Hernández, according to PD.
Evidence from Frómeta's Phone
The unreleased footage that demonstrates the innocence of the protesters in La Güinera, as determined on June 3 by the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD), was found on Frómeta’s phone, which was in possession of his daughters in Germany. The video shows Frómeta holding the camera and adopting a peaceful demeanor, pleading with the officers to “please don’t throw stones” at the protesters, PD noted.
The clip also captures the protesters marching peacefully, “except, we can imagine, in very rare exceptions,” the organization pointed out. “In any case, this was not Luis's behavior, as the video makes clear.”
Moreover, the footage shows the demonstrators, including Frómeta, alerting that the police were attacking them with stones, causing the protesters to flee in panic. In one segment, Frómeta takes refuge on the side of the street as police and paramilitaries pass by, “picking up stones from the ground and throwing them at the fleeing protesters, in an act of state terrorism typical of a criminal government.”
International Response and Inaction
According to PD, the German Government and the European Commission have shown an “incomprehensible” stance over the past three years, as they have failed to protect a German citizen. The organization emphasized that, although the United Nations has condemned the regime's actions against Frómeta and the protesters, neither the European Union nor the German government has labeled Miguel Díaz-Canel's mandate as criminal.
This has allowed Cuba to disregard Frómeta's nationality and continue its repression of tens of thousands of demonstrators and citizens since the July 11 protests and over the past 65 years, PD noted.
In 2023, activists and Frómeta's family members reported that he was brutally beaten in Combinado del Este prison in Havana, resulting in injuries including a fractured nasal septum. Prisoners Defenders explained that the perpetrators were known and had faced no repercussions from prison authorities.
Compte was sentenced to 25 years in prison in 2022 for alleged sedition after participating in the July 12, 2021, protest in La Güinera. The organization claims that the harsh sentence, like those imposed on other protesters in La Güinera, was because all were witnesses to the killing of 36-year-old protester Diubis Laurencio Tejeda by police officer Yoennis Pelegrín Hernández, the only fatality of the July 11 and 12, 2021 protests, according to the Cuban regime.
Key Questions About the Luis Frómeta Case
To provide more clarity on the Luis Frómeta case and its broader implications, here are some frequently asked questions and their answers.
What does the unreleased video show about Luis Frómeta's behavior during the protests?
The video shows Luis Frómeta engaging peacefully with the police and urging them not to throw stones at the protesters. It demonstrates his non-violent demeanor throughout the event.
Why is the international community's response significant in this case?
The international community's response is crucial because it can pressure the Cuban government to respect human rights and release political prisoners like Frómeta. However, the German Government and the European Commission have been criticized for their lack of action.
What actions have been taken by the United Nations regarding this situation?
The United Nations, through its Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD), has condemned the Cuban regime's actions against Frómeta and the protesters, recognizing the arbitrary nature of their detentions.