CASE UPDATE: GLA Urges IACHR to Grant Precautionary Measures for Free Yorubas Members Held in Prison for Over 100 Days

​Earlier today, the Global Liberty Alliance updated the Organization of American States’ Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) on the status of four members of the Association of Free Yorubas of Cuba who have been held in prison since mid-July of this year.

Donaida Pérez Paseiro and Loreto Hernández García.

Donaida Pérez Paseiro, Loreto Hernández García, Lisdani Rodríguez Isaac and Lisdiani Rodríguez Isaac were all detained as a result of participation in the July demonstrations that broke out across Cuba.
 
On September 22, the Municipal People’s Court of Santa Clara, Criminal Section, issued an order to open an oral trial for the crimes of public disorder, contempt, resistance and attack. They will face 8-10 years in prison.
 
The four prisoners are being held in provisional prison until a trial date is set. Following the release of the prosecutor’s sentencing, relatives of the accused were summoned by State Security in an attempt to threaten and/or coerce family members who were told the government would see to it that their loved ones would be in prison for a long time.
 
Since their detention in July, family members have been unable to visit the accused in prison, and have been limited to supervised telephone calls, preventing those in detention from revealing the true details of the prison conditions or their state of health.

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Lisdani and Lisdiani Rodríguez Isaac.

On September 17, GLA applied for Precautionary Measures on behalf of the four Yorubas. These members have experienced particularly excessive retribution by security forces over the years, even more so following the July 11 demonstrations. While reports indicate many protesters have been released after short detentions, Yoruba leaders Donaida Pérez Paseiro, Loreto Hernández Garcia, and members Lisdiani and Lisdani Rodríguez Isaac have now spent over 100 days behind bars without trial.
 
Loreto Hernández García suffers from several pre-existing health conditions including high blood pressure, type II diabetes, chronic asthma, chronic hypertension, heart problems, among others, and is in grave danger of experiencing fatal complications without proper medical attention. Donaida Pérez Paseiro also suffers from pre-existing ailments that can be exacerbated by poor prison conditions.
 
There is no evidence that the Cuban regime is providing access to medical care for these prisoners, and without the ability to speak freely with relatives, they are unable to reveal the severity of their current circumstances.
 
With the lack of medication and inadequate healthcare in Cuban prison institutions, coupled with the history of abuse suffered by the four imprisoned Yorubas, GLA is gravely concerned for their health and safety.

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For more information on the application for Precautionary Measures submitted on behalf of Donaida Pérez Paseiro, Loreto Hernández García, Lisdiani Rodriguez Isaac and Lisdani Rodríguez Isaac, see our news alert HERE.
 

Case information and updates on the detention of members of the Association of Free Yorubas of Cuba can be found on GLA’s case profile page HERE.