The young Cuban José Alejandro Rodríguez Gelín returned home on Tuesday after spending four and a half years in prison for participating in the peaceful protests of July 11, 2021.
Her mother, Meibel Gelin García, shared on Facebook the moment of her release, describing the reunion as a moment of joy that comes after years marked by suffering, uncertainty, and powerlessness in the face of a judicial system used to punish civic dissent.
José Alejandro's return does not erase what has been experienced: "We have suffered and cried a lot, but today God has brought him back to us as a strong, mature man, firm in his convictions, with scars that only time and our love will be able to heal," Meibel noted.
The mother expressed her gratitude for the support received over the years and emphasized that her happiness cannot be complete while dozens of Cuban mothers continue to wait for their children still in prison.
"We will not stop thinking about the mothers who today wish to feel the embrace and freedom of their children, nor will we cease to demand the freedom of all political prisoners and assist and support those who remain unjustly behind bars," he emphasized.
A conviction based on accusations without evidence
The story of José Alejandro encapsulates the pattern of judicial repression that accompanied the largest protests during the Cuban dictatorship: hundreds of young people were accused of crimes such as assault, incitement to commit a crime, or public disorder, without any evidence of aggression or harm present in the trials.
In the case of Rodríguez Gelín, the State Security acknowledged that the young man did not commit an act of violence, despite being sentenced to nine years in prison for this charge—an excessive punishment that his family has always condemned as a political repression.
In January 2022, the families of five detainees from Jovellanos - including Rodríguez Gelín - publicly denounced the lack of legal guarantees in Cuba.
They pointed out the lack of evidence and the attitude of judges and prosecutors who acted as the repressive arm of the State, disregarding testimonies, evidence, and fundamental rights.
The young man's mother explained that the trial attempted to portray him as the "leader" of the people's protest, even though no one could confirm that he summoned, organized, or directed the demonstration.
A student whom they tried to turn into a criminal
In October 2021, Meibel Gelin García sent an open letter to the ruler Miguel Díaz-Canel, in which she presented who her son really was: not a political agitator, but a Spanish-Literature student with serious health issues and aspirations for improvement, like so many young Cubans disappointed by the reality of the country.
The letter also mocked the accusations from the Prosecutor's Office, which portrayed him as a "layabout," despite the fact that the young man was enrolled in university studies prior to his arrest.
The mother recounted that her son did not harm anyone; he only shouted slogans and asked other protesters not to insult in front of the hospital or protest without health protection. Nevertheless, he was treated as if he were a dangerous criminal.
He also reported that he spent 40 days locked in a room without ventilation, isolated, and that even during health crises, the authorities refused to grant a change in his situation.
In that letter, Gelin wrote words that today, with his son at home, remain a poignant accusation: "I do know how to describe what they are doing to my son: injustice, repression."
A freedom that is not justice
The release of José Alejandro Rodríguez Gelín does not repair the damage suffered nor correct the impunity of the system that imprisoned him. It only highlights how Cuban justice has been used to punish dissent and exemplify fear.
Like him, many young people remain behind bars, sentenced for exercising a universal right: protesting against the government.
The young man's mother made it clear upon receiving him at home: happiness will not be complete as long as there are political prisoners in Cuba. Her son is free, but justice remains imprisoned.
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