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Amnesty International called on Wednesday for the release of Cuban political prisoner Donaida Pérez Paseiro, who turns 54 while remaining incarcerated in Cuba.
In a message posted by Amnesty International Americas, the organization reminded that Pérez Paseiro is a “Yoruba priestess and a prisoner of conscience" and that she was "wrongly convicted along with her husband #LoretoHernández for peacefully exercising their human rights in Cuba.”
The NGO stated that Donaida was arrested after participating in the protests on July 11, 2021, and that the authorities sentenced her to eight years in prison. From jail, she has reported violations of her religious freedom and has demanded the release of her husband and other individuals imprisoned for political reasons.
"The harassment of Donaida and her husband Loreto extends to their relatives, which has led to their son Dairon's departure to the United States in 2023," stated the organization. In its publication, it also demanded the release of the activist from the Cuban leader: "Demands Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez for her release and a #CubaSinRepresión."
Pérez Paseiro, president of the Association of Free Yorubas of Cuba, was sentenced in February 2022 to eight years in prison for her participation in the anti-government protests of July 11th. In January 2025, she was released as part of a process for prison benefits, but her parole was revoked in June of that same year by the Provincial People's Court of Villa Clara, which cited "failure to comply with the obligations" associated with that regime.
Following that decision, the U.S. State Department condemned the re-imprisonment of the activist and warned that "those responsible will be held accountable for their human rights abuses," as reported in a previous note on Washington's official reaction.
Human rights organizations have recognized her as a prisoner of conscience and have raised concerns about her health, as she suffers from hypertension and diabetes. During her previous imprisonment, she was transferred to a hospital after experiencing vomiting with blood and abdominal pain, and she also developed symptoms of COVID-19.
Her husband, Loreto Hernández García, vice president of the same religious association, was sentenced to seven years in prison for his involvement in the protests of July 11th. Various organizations have reported that both cases constitute violations of religious and freedom of expression rights in Cuba.
The situation of Pérez Paseiro occurs in a context where Amnesty International has demanded “the immediate and unconditional release of all politically imprisoned individuals and an end to repression” on the island, and has warned that selective releases do not replace the state's obligation to cease the criminalization of freedom of expression.
At 54 years old, Donaida Pérez Paseiro remains in prison while international organizations reiterate their call for her immediate and unconditional release.
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