The political prisoner of 11J, Lisdani Rodríguez Isaac, 25 years old, stated that the unjust imprisonment she has been subjected to by the Cuban regime since 2021 has ruined her youth.
"These three years have been very hard; it is very hard to lose your youth there for something you didn't do; but I psychologically prepared myself and I am firm, without lowering my head," he stated in an interview granted to the portal Cubanet.
The young woman, who became pregnant while in prison and gave birth to a girl on September 6, recounted the difficulties she faced during her pregnancy in prison, under threat from the prison authorities.
The first option offered by the authorities was abortion, and for a month she was pressured by State Security officials to go through with it, said Rodríguez Isaac, who is serving an 8-year sentence along with her twin sister Lidiani for participating in the protests on July 11 in Placetas.
"Think about the years you have left to fulfill," they told her. However, Lisdani decided to go ahead with her pregnancy, despite the difficult conditions of the Guamajal prison.
"I was already 25 years old, I had been in prison since I was 22 and I will get out at 30. I didn't want to wait that long to become a mother. If my baby arrived at this time, there must be a reason for it," she noted.
Rodríguez Isaac was sentenced for her participation in the protests of July 11, 2021, in her hometown, Placetas, in the province of Villa Clara. She was accused of crimes such as "assault," "disobedience," and "public disorder," for which she initially faced a prosecutor's request for 10 years in prison. Ultimately, both she and her sister, Lidiani, were sentenced to eight years.
Despite the precarious conditions in prison and poor nutrition, Lisdani carried on with her pregnancy. At the end of May, after months of risks to her health, the authorities granted her a one-year extrapenal license.
On September 6, she gave birth without complications, and her baby is in the care of her sister due to the flooding in the family home.
In the interview with Cubanet, she recalled that she suffered humiliations in prison and had to live with common inmates, including a woman convicted of murder. Despite being pregnant, she was mistreated by one of the guards, who denied her breakfast on one occasion.
"They have ended my youth," confessed the young woman, who says that when her license ends and she has to return to prison, the worst part will be separating from her baby.
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