Global Liberty Alliance
  • About Us
    • Mission
    • GLA Team >
      • Staff And Advisors >
        • Jason I. Poblete
        • Mauricio J. Tamargo
        • Arthur Freyre
        • Cara Di Silvio
        • Fr. Fernando Hería
        • Abbe Jolles
        • Dr. Tomaž Slivnik
        • Dr. Jane F. Adolphe
      • Board >
        • Terry T. Campo
        • Mark Lewis
        • Jason I. Poblete
        • Mauricio J. Tamargo
        • Dr. Stephen M. Thompson
    • Policies >
      • Anti-Slavery & Anti-Human Trafficking
      • Business Conduct & Ethics
  • Working Groups
    • Brazil >
      • Brazil Cuban Medical Mission Files
    • Guatemala >
      • Guatemala Cuban Medical Mission Files
    • Honduras >
      • Honduras Cuban Medical Mission Files
    • Nicaragua
    • Uruguay >
      • Uruguay Cuban Medical Mission Files
    • Western Sahara
  • Featured Case Work
    • The Cadet Newspaper at VMI
    • Free Yorubas of Cuba, Regularly Attacked for Faith
    • Alina Lopez-Miyares, US Citizen Tried by Cuban Tribunal
    • Jamshid Sharmahd, ​Businessman and Broadcaster Kidnapped into Iran
    • Roberto Quiñones, Jailed for Journalism
    • José Daniel Ferrer and UNPACU Activists
    • Rigal-Expósito Family, Torn Apart for Homeschooling
    • Tejeda-Lescaille Family, Persecuted for Jewish Faith
    • The Whittaker Chambers Farm
    • Past Cases >
      • Apostolic Movement Of Cuba
      • Roberto Bendaña McEwan – INTERPOL Abuse by Nicaragua
      • Nizar Zakka – U.S. Legal Permanent Resident, Hostage in Iran
  • News & Media
    • Global Voices for Liberty
    • GLA News
    • Media
  • Donations
  • Tips

News

CASE UPDATE: Prosecutor Seeks Maximum Sentence in Case Against Free Yorubas, Lisdiani & Lisdani Rodríguez Isaac

9/27/2021

 
UPDATE AS OF 9/28/2021 (5:00PM)
The prosecutor has officially charged sisters Lisdiani & Lisdani with 1 count public disorder, two counts of disobedience, and two counts of assault/attack for a total of 10 years in prison with additional travel restrictions.

MORE INFORMATION COMING SOON!
Picture
Last week, sisters Lisdiani and Lisdani Rodríguez Isaac were informed they would most likely be facing the maximum sentence of 8 years in prison for “maliciously spreading an epidemic.” These charges come months after being detained for participation in peaceful protests that took place all across Cuba earlier in July.
 
The Global Liberty Alliance was notified the Prosecutor’s office of Villa Clara would be seeking to charge the sisters with “spreading of the epidemic” and have categorized the degree of the charges as particularly “malicious.”

Charges of “spreading an epidemic” would result in a possible prison sentence ranging from three months to one year, and/or fines between 100 and 300 CUP.  Maliciously spreading an epidemic, however, can result in deprivation of liberty of three to eight years.
CHAPTER V
CRIMES AGAINST PUBLIC HEALTH
SECTION ONE

​Spread of Epidemics
 
ARTICLE 187.1. - Anyone who violates the measures or provisions issued by the competent health authorities for the prevention and control of communicable diseases and programs or campaigns for the control or eradication of serious or dangerous diseases or epidemics, incurs a penalty of deprivation of liberty from three months to one year or a fine of one hundred to three hundred quotas or both.
 
2. The same penalty is incurred by anyone who refuses to collaborate with the health authorities in places of the national territory where any communicable disease acquires serious epidemic characteristics or in neighboring territories exposed to spread.
 
3. Anyone who maliciously spreads or facilitates the spread of a disease is subject to a penalty of deprivation of liberty for a period of three to eight years.

(Chapter V, Section One, Article 187.1 of Cuba’s Penal Code).
A GLA legal consultant familiar with the case noted however that participation in peaceful protests could not be deemed “malicious.” Additionally, on the same day of the demonstrations, President Díaz-Canel called on his supporters to also take to the streets and defend the government against revolutionaries. If protesting on that day in Villa Clara is classified as “maliciously spreading an epidemic,” equal application of justice demands any government supporters that also marched in response to Díaz-Canel’s call be charged equally.
 
GLA’s legal consultant also pointed out that marches and mass gatherings have been conducted at other times during the pandemic in addition to those on July 11.

GLA has received reports from contacts close to Lisdiani and Lisdani, indicating the Cuban government is pressuring the sisters to cooperate by spying on the Association of Free Yorubas of Cuba in exchange for a lesser sentence.
 
The extremity of the charges coupled with the Prosecutor’s decision to categorize the sister’s actions as “malicious” certainly creates leverage for the Cuban government against the young women.

RESOURCES:
  • USCIRF FoRB Victim Profile: Lisdiani Rodríguez Isaac
  • USCIRF FoRB Victim Profile: Lisdani Rodríguez Isaac

GLA ADVOCACY & NEWS:
  • News Alert - "GLA Seeks Precautionary Measures From the OAS For Members of the Association of Free Yorubas of Cuba,"(Sep. 20, 2021).
  • Press Release - "Statement On Leadership Of The Free Yorubas Of Cuba, Prisoners Of Conscience,"(Sep. 7, 2021).
  • News Alert - "Free Yorubas Demand Immediate Release Of President, Vice President, Other Members Detained By Cuba's Political Police," (Aug. 12, 2021).
  • Case Update - "Free Yorubas Unlawfully Detained, Imprisoned Following Peaceful Protests,"(Aug. 5, 2021).
  • Press Release - "Free Yorubas Unlawfully Detained, Imprisoned Following Peaceful Protests," (Jul. 20, 2021).

​Visit GLA’s News & Media page for updates on the Free Yorubas of Cuba. More information on the Association of Free Yorubas of Cuba can be found on our website here.


Comments are closed.

    News


    Categories

    All
    Apostolic Movement Of Cuba
    Brazil
    COVID 19
    COVID-19
    Cuba
    Cuban Medical Workers
    Forced Labor
    Freedom Of Assembly
    Freedom Of Expression
    Free Press
    Free Speech
    Free Yorubas Of Cuba
    GLA In News
    Hostage
    Human Rights Violations
    Human Trafficking
    International Law
    Iran
    Mexico
    Morocco
    News & Media
    Nicaragua
    Other
    Press Releases
    Prisoner Of Conscience
    Religious Freedom
    Rule Of Law
    Support The Fund!
    Unlawful Detentions
    UNPACU
    Uruguay
    Western Sahara

SUPPORT RULE OF LAW
Invest In Liberty
Picture
Picture
CONTACT INFORMATION
600 Cameron Street, Suite 411
Alexandria, Virginia 22314
(703) 566-3037

[email protected]

HOME   CASES   POLICIES   THE TEAM   NEWS  INVEST  TIPS

Global Rule of Law & Liberty Legal Defense Fund (d/b/a The Global Liberty Alliance)
©2024 All rights reserved.
  • About Us
    • Mission
    • GLA Team >
      • Staff And Advisors >
        • Jason I. Poblete
        • Mauricio J. Tamargo
        • Arthur Freyre
        • Cara Di Silvio
        • Fr. Fernando Hería
        • Abbe Jolles
        • Dr. Tomaž Slivnik
        • Dr. Jane F. Adolphe
      • Board >
        • Terry T. Campo
        • Mark Lewis
        • Jason I. Poblete
        • Mauricio J. Tamargo
        • Dr. Stephen M. Thompson
    • Policies >
      • Anti-Slavery & Anti-Human Trafficking
      • Business Conduct & Ethics
  • Working Groups
    • Brazil >
      • Brazil Cuban Medical Mission Files
    • Guatemala >
      • Guatemala Cuban Medical Mission Files
    • Honduras >
      • Honduras Cuban Medical Mission Files
    • Nicaragua
    • Uruguay >
      • Uruguay Cuban Medical Mission Files
    • Western Sahara
  • Featured Case Work
    • The Cadet Newspaper at VMI
    • Free Yorubas of Cuba, Regularly Attacked for Faith
    • Alina Lopez-Miyares, US Citizen Tried by Cuban Tribunal
    • Jamshid Sharmahd, ​Businessman and Broadcaster Kidnapped into Iran
    • Roberto Quiñones, Jailed for Journalism
    • José Daniel Ferrer and UNPACU Activists
    • Rigal-Expósito Family, Torn Apart for Homeschooling
    • Tejeda-Lescaille Family, Persecuted for Jewish Faith
    • The Whittaker Chambers Farm
    • Past Cases >
      • Apostolic Movement Of Cuba
      • Roberto Bendaña McEwan – INTERPOL Abuse by Nicaragua
      • Nizar Zakka – U.S. Legal Permanent Resident, Hostage in Iran
  • News & Media
    • Global Voices for Liberty
    • GLA News
    • Media
  • Donations
  • Tips