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Yoennis Domínguez de la Rosa, a young Cuban sentenced to five years in prison for recording and spreading videos of a police confrontation in Santiago de Cuba on social media, was released this Saturday, January 20, as part of the agreement between the Havana regime, the Vatican, and the United States.
Domínguez de la Rosa was sentenced to five years in prison for spreading on social media the clashes that occurred in February 2020 between residents and military personnel in the Nuevo Vista Alegre neighborhood of Santiago de Cuba, following the rape of an eight-year-old girl.
According to the Cuban Observatory of Human Rights, the young man was released this Saturday as part of an agreement that involved removing Cuba from the list of State Sponsors of Terrorism by the United States in exchange for the release of 553 prisoners on the island.
Domínguez had completed almost his entire sentence and was released before finishing his conviction after suffering all kinds of humiliations in prison, according to his mother's reports.
"They tortured him in prison, made him sleep on the floor for 21 days. He was urinating blood, and the Lieutenant Colonel told me that 'dogs don't receive medical assistance,'" the mother recounted a few months ago.
Furthermore, he reported the ongoing harassment from State Security towards his family, and the impact that this repression has had on his children and grandchildren.
As part of the agreement, several protesters from the 11J have been released in Cuba, including opposition leaders José Daniel Ferrer and Félix Navarro, both political prisoners from the Black Spring of 2003.
Frequently asked questions about the release of political prisoners in Cuba
Why was Yoennis Domínguez de la Rosa released?
Yoennis Domínguez de la Rosa was released as part of an agreement between the Havana regime, the Vatican, and the United States, which included the removal of Cuba from the list of state sponsors of terrorism in exchange for the release of 553 prisoners on the island. He had been convicted for recording police confrontations in Santiago de Cuba.
How has the treatment of political prisoners in Cuba been?
Political prisoners in Cuba have been subjected to mistreatment and torture, as reported by relatives and human rights organizations. In the case of Yoennis Domínguez, his mother reported that he was tortured and forced to sleep on the floor without adequate medical assistance.
Who else has been released alongside Yoennis Domínguez de la Rosa?
Together with Yoennis Domínguez, several protesters from the 11J have been released, including opposition leaders José Daniel Ferrer and Félix Navarro. These releases are part of an agreement involving the release of 553 prisoners by the Cuban regime.
What is the current situation of the released prisoners in Cuba?
Although they have been released, prisoners in Cuba do not enjoy full freedom. Many are under a regime of surveillance or house arrest, and must fulfill certain legal obligations, such as temporary extrapenal licenses, according to the organization Cubalex.
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