The Cuban regime has imprisoned 554 people for participating in the anti-government protests of July 2021 in dozens of cities and towns across Cuba, the largest recorded protests in the country, reported the independent organization Justicia 11J on Wednesday.
In its third annual report "Another Year Without Justice," corresponding to 2024, the non-governmental organization revealed that 1,586 people were detained for protesting during the popular uprising on July 11, of which 554—35%—are still imprisoned three years later, "with confirmed sentences following appeals that extend to over 20 years of imprisonment."
"The repression on the Island, by state institutions, is systematic and structural," warned Justicia 11J in the report presented virtually this Wednesday, which also includes a statistical and evaluative analysis of the protests that took place in Cuba between July 2023 and July 2024.
The NGO reminded that during the protests on July 11 and 12, 2021, members of the Ministry of the Interior (Minint), supported by the Revolutionary Armed Forces (FAR) and paramilitary groups known as Rapid Response Brigades, "used armed violence against unarmed citizens."
Nearly a dozen people were injured in protests across the country, and in the La Güinera neighborhood of Havana, Diubis Laurencio Tejeda, 36, was shot in the back by a police officer, resulting in his death.
Justicia 11J stated that the protesters imprisoned for the massive demonstrations and their families have been "victims of hundreds of incidents violating their human rights, among which various forms of harassment and repression stand out."
He lamented the death under state custody in November 2023 of the 11J protester Luis Barrios Díaz, due to the “denial of timely medical attention” in the El Pitirre prison “1580” in Havana, where he was serving a six-year sentence.
The report specifies that, of the 554 individuals still detained in connection with the 11J, 93% are men (518) and 7% are women (36). Additionally, 12 are aged between 20 and 21 years old —they were arrested at ages 17 and 18—; 383 are between 22 and 45 years old; 92 are between 46 and 59; and 13 are 60 or older.
The provinces with the highest number of incarcerated individuals are Havana (198), Matanzas (85), Artemisa (65), Mayabeque (58), and Santiago de Cuba (44), which are also the same areas that reported the highest number of arrests, the text stated.
Justicia 11J noted that among the individuals still imprisoned, 492 (89%), meaning the majority, "had no prior connections with any political organization or civil society group, did not participate in activist groups or human rights advocacy, nor collaborated with independent media."
Additionally, it was reported that at least 36 individuals imprisoned for participating in anti-government protests have been denied the benefit of moving to a less severe prison regime; 15 have been denied parole and four have been denied leave from prison.
Four other prisoners from the 11J also received denials of benefits, including the Dama de Blanco Saylí Navarro Álvarez, detained in the women's prison in Matanzas, "Bellotex," and Amauris Arrate Hernández, incarcerated in Mar Verde prison in Santiago de Cuba, both of whom had a 60-day reduction in their sentences per year of time served rejected.
Justicia 11J reported that in protests following July 11, 488 people were detained, of which 144 are still in prison.
Between July 2023 and July 2024, there were at least 173 protests in public spaces in Cuba, driven by factors such as "the persistence of the systemic crisis in the country related to decades of poor state management" and "the unsustainability of the totalitarian regime of the Communist Party of Cuba."
The NGO identified 44 incidents of repression against protests and listed the "invasion of special forces into homes, beatings, arrests, enforced disappearances, the presence of patrols and other police forces to intimidate, threats of imprisonment, summons for interrogations, internet disruptions, discrediting of protesters, cuts to water service, acts of repudiation, and imposition of fines."
During the period analyzed in the report, at least 35 people were arrested, of whom 27 remain in prison.
The organization states that "the violence of the state's repressive bodies to prevent dissent or criticism of government management manifests against all sectors of society and citizenship."
He concluded that the regime's response to the protests that took place between July 2023 and July 2024 "has demonstrated a continued zero tolerance toward dissent."
Camila Rodríguez, representative of Justicia 11J, noted this Wednesday that in 2024 they have recorded 248 protests in public spaces, some of which "have been significant." According to her count, 16 were massive and 113 were group protests, the AP news agency reported.
Recently, the non-governmental organization Prisoners Defenders reported that the number of political prisoners rose to 1,117 in October, following new arrests related to peaceful protests in Cuba.
Frequently Asked Questions about the 11J Protests and Political Prisoners in Cuba
The July 11 protests in Cuba marked a milestone in the country's recent history. Below, we address some of the most common questions regarding this event and the current situation of those detained.
How many people were arrested during the protests on July 11th?
According to the 11J Justice report, a total of 1,586 people were arrested during the protests on July 11 and 12, 2021, in Cuba.
How many protesters from the 11J remain in prison?
Of the total number of detainees, 554 individuals (35%) remain in prison three years after the protests.
What types of human rights violations do the prisoners from the 11J face?
The detainees have been victims of harassment, denial of prison benefits, repression, and lack of adequate medical attention, according to the Justicia 11J report.
What actions has the Cuban regime taken to suppress protests?
The Cuban government has employed armed violence, arbitrary detentions, internet blackouts, and acts of repudiation, among other repressive tactics, to suppress protests.
What age are the prisoners who are still incarcerated?
Most of the prisoners are between 22 and 45 years old. However, some were only 17 at the time of their arrest, and others are over 60.
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