HeCuban Observatory of Human Rights (OCDH) denounced the death, due to alleged irregularities and negligence on the part of the prison authorities, of the political prisonerLuis Barrios Diaz, who remained in prison since the protests of July 11, 2021.
Barrios, 37, died this Sunday afternoon at La Covadonga Hospital in Havana as a result of respiratory complications.
Barrios had presented worrying symptoms since August. He was admitted to the infirmary of prison 1580 in San Miguel del Padrón and later transferred to the aforementioned hospital to receive specialized care.
Nevertheless,Despite medical warnings, the authorities decided to return him to prison, citing the lack of resources for transfer and hospital surveillance.
That decision led to a critical deterioration in his health and, ultimately, his death.
The inmate underwent emergency surgery this Saturday and unfortunately did not overcome the post-surgical complications, dying in the intensive care unit.
In an apparent attempt to avoid responsibility,The authorities granted an extra-penal license to the deceased inmate with extraordinary speed., as specified by the OCDH, citing the testimony of Endris Arias Meralla, companion in case 184/2021 and friend of the deceased.
Barrios was a resident of Pasaje Raúl number 38, between Hatuey and Lindero, in the Párraga neighborhood, in the Arroyo Naranjo municipality, in Havana.
In January 2022 it wassentenced by the Municipal Court to nine years in prison for his participation in the 11J demonstrations, accused of alleged crimes of public disorder and attack.
The death of Luis Barrios Díaz once again highlights the critical situation of political prisoners in Cuba.
The OCDH has reiterated its demand for the immediate release of all prisoners for political and conscientious reasons and recalls that, although it is a matter of political will, the regime has at least eight legal avenues to release or immediately release everyone.
Barrios' case joins other complaints of inmates who show obvious deterioration in health, among them,Felix Navarro, Jose Daniel Ferrer and Lazarus Yuri Valley Rock.
In the final segment of its complaint, the Cuban Observatory for Human Rights demanded international attention from democratic governments and the European Union (EU) to the critical situation of prisoners in Cuba.
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