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Independent journalist Yania Suárez Caballero has been detained since Tuesday morning in a police unit in Playa municipality, Havana, after voluntarily going to report a neighborhood conflict that, according to organizations and activists, ended up becoming a case of alleged police arbitrariness.
According to an alert released by the legal organization Cubalex, Suárez is being held at the police station located at 3rd and 110, known as the Fifth Unit of the Police. The journalist reportedly went there to report an issue related to the use of the garage of the building where she resides.
According to the complaint, what began as an attempt to seek protection from the authorities ended with Suárez being detained in a cell under charges of "arbitrary exercise of the right" and "threats."
The conflict is related to a neighbor who installed a generator in the building's garage, which emits gases that, according to the complainants, affect the health of the residents. Cubalex states that there are resolutions from the Municipal Housing Directorate and three fines from Public Health related to the case, yet the equipment continues to operate.
The organization claims that, during the arrest, the authorities acted in a biased manner. The sector chief, who was already aware of the situation, allegedly ignored the journalist's testimony and held her responsible for the conflict. Additionally, a superior officer reportedly pressured her to hand over the keys to a lock belonging to her, under the threat of breaking it if she did not comply.
According to the report, the police also tried to get Suárez to sign a document stating that she had been "taken" to the station, something she rejected by claiming that she showed up of her own accord to report what had happened.
The writer and activist Boris González Arenas confirmed on social media that the journalist conveyed the information through secure channels and that she has been detained in the same police unit since around 9:00 in the morning.
So far, there is no official information regarding their release.
Cubalex classified the case as an arbitrary detention, noting that it not only criminalizes a neighborhood conflict but can also be interpreted as a form of harassment against an independent journalist.
The organization demanded the immediate release of Yania Suárez Caballero and the respect for her right to report irregularities without facing reprisals.
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