The Cuban activist Ana Belkis Ferrer reported this Wednesday that her sister-in-law, Dr. Nelva Ismarays Ortega Tamayo, was detained by regime agents while she was heading to the Mar Verde prison in Santiago de Cuba with her children to demand proof of life for the dissident José Daniel Ferrer.
“At around 11 in the morning, the wife and two children of #SOSFerrer went to Mar Verde prison to demand proof of life, which was denied to them. Two Castro operatives detained Nelva and took her to an unknown location,” wrote Ana Belkis on her brother's social media.
The detention of Ortega Tamayo occurs amidst growing concern for the health and whereabouts of Ferrer, leader of the Unión Patriótica de Cuba (UNPACU), who recently declared a hunger strike to denounce abuses and inhumane conditions.
In addition, the political prisoner reported being beaten in prison by two other convicts who were acting on the orders of the regime's repressors in Cuba.
Ferrer García was re-imprisoned on April 29 following the revocation of his parole. Since then, his family has reported that he is in inhumane conditions, subjected to prolonged isolation, without access to adequate medical care, and with insufficient food.
On several occasions, the authorities have prevented his wife and children from visiting him, even denying them the right to bring him food and hygiene products.
The arrest of Ortega Tamayo has sparked a wave of outrage among activists and human rights organizations, who are demanding the immediate release of Ferrer's wife and assurances regarding the physical and psychological integrity of the opposition figure.
"Freedom for all detainees and political prisoners! Down with the communist Castro-Canel dictatorship!" affirmed Ana Belkis Ferrer in her alert message, noting that after the detention of Dr. Ortega Tamayo, her eldest daughter (Fátima Beatriz) took care of the little one, Daniel José, and "decided to return to the UNPACU headquarters."
The situation of Ferrer and his family has become a symbol of political repression in Cuba, where the authorities use the prison system as a tool of punishment against dissent.
International organizations, such as the European Parliament and the government of the United States, have condemned his arrest and demanded his release.
In Miami, human rights activists have launched various campaigns to bring attention to the case, including the placement of billboards demanding the immediate release of Ferrer and all Cuban political prisoners.
The international community continues to pay close attention to the situation of José Daniel Ferrer and his family, demanding that the Cuban regime respect human rights and release all political prisoners.
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