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The political prisoner from the July 11 protests, Duannis León Taboada, is in solitary confinement at the Combinado del Este prison in Havana, after being beaten by a prison officer, according to information received from inside the penitentiary.
The incident occurred when the guard identified as Captain Juan Ramón intervened violently in a verbal dispute between Duannis and another inmate. During the altercation, the young man was physically assaulted and suffered an open wound on his eyebrow.
According to the reports, the injury did not receive proper medical attention and was not sutured. As of now, it is unknown how long he will remain in isolation, and there is no official information about his health status.
On the morning of this Saturday, Duannis was removed from his cell to collect his belongings and was transported to an unidentified location within the penitentiary system. Sources linked to the case indicated that authorities intend to open a new criminal case against him and to try to persuade other inmates to testify against him, despite the fact that he was the one who was injured during the incident.
For several weeks, the political prisoner has been maintaining a silent protest to reaffirm the political nature of his imprisonment and demand his release. The action involves refusing to receive regulatory benefits or participate in prison routines, including family visits, phone calls, headcounts, and the use of a uniform.
According to their surroundings, this form of resistance has increased the pressure and harassment against them within the prison.
The Cuban Observatory of Cultural Rights has warned about the responsibility of the Cuban state regarding any further reprisals, as well as potential actions against her mother for publicly denouncing the situation.
With precautionary measures from the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights
The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) granted precautionary measures in favor of Duannis León Taboada and his mother, Yenisey Taboada Ortiz, considering that both are in a situation of seriousness and urgency, and at risk of suffering irreparable harm. In its resolution, the body urged the Cuban state to adopt the necessary measures to protect their rights and ensure their integrity.
In its resolution, the organization noted that Duannis, convicted for his participation in the protests on July 11, 2021, has been subjected to harassment, pressure, and detention conditions that jeopardize his physical and psychological integrity. The CIDH considered reports of mistreatment, reprisals within the prison system, and restrictions that exceed the ordinary regime for serving a sentence.
In the case of her mother, the Commission assessed the threats and acts of intimidation reported following her public activism in defense of her son. According to the analysis by the regional body, the visibility of the case and the repeated complaints increase the level of risk.
As part of the precautionary measures, the IACHR urged the Cuban State to take concrete actions to protect the life and personal integrity of both individuals, ensure detention conditions that are compatible with international standards, and allow the beneficiary to maintain contact with their family and legal representatives. It also requested that information be provided on the actions taken to mitigate the identified risks.
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