Cuban Authorities Refuse Habeas Corpus for Opposition Leader José Daniel Ferrer Despite Sentence Completion

The Cuban Supreme Court has denied the Habeas Corpus petition filed on behalf of opposition leader José Daniel Ferrer, who has been imprisoned for over four months despite having completed his sentence. On Monday, December 16, the Council for Democratic Transition in Cuba (CTDC) was informed of the decision, dated December 5, which violates the law and unlawfully extends the activist's detention, as reported by Martí Noticias.

The Habeas Corpus petition was submitted because Ferrer had completed his four-and-a-half-year sentence on August 13. However, the Supreme Court rejected it five days past the legal deadline established by Law 143 for summary proceedings.

Manuel Cuesta Morúa, a lawyer and member of the CTDC, accused the Supreme Court not only of responding late but also of twisting the facts and the terms of resolutions from the Santiago de Cuba Municipal Court, in a clear effort to keep Ferrer imprisoned.

Cuesta Morúa explained that the Supreme Court misrepresented the reason for revoking the measure previously imposed on Ferrer, which resulted in the extension of his imprisonment. According to the lawyer, the Supreme Court mistakenly claimed Ferrer is still serving his sentence, although it concluded over four months ago.

In response, the CTDC filed an appeal with the Special Chamber of the Supreme Court, requesting an objective review of Ferrer's case in accordance with the law. The organization urged the Cuban government to release the opposition leader, who has been unjustifiably detained for an additional 124 days.

José Daniel Ferrer, head of the Patriotic Union of Cuba (UNPACU), was arrested in October 2019 and sentenced to four and a half years in prison for "assault." He was released under cautionary measures in April 2020, but his freedom was revoked in July 2021 after attempting to join anti-government protests in Santiago de Cuba.